Fewer Kids Are Having Kids

According to the latest figures from the CDC, 7,315 American girls ages 10 to 14 had babies in 2002. Believe it or not, that's good news because it's the lowest level since 1946, down from a peak of 12,901 in 1994. Teen births are down for all ages, but the drop is largest for the youngest and most vulnerable parents, and the numbers fell most sharply among blacks, the group at highest risk. Among the issues raised when kids have kids are grave medical consequences. Such births are linked to serious health risks for the mothers--16% of whom receive no prenatal care--and the babies, who are far more likely to be born preterm and three times as likely to die during their first year compared with U.S. babies overall.