While teen birth rates continue to see a welcome decline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some bad news: Of the babies born to teen mothers, 18 percent are the mother’s second or third child. This is a big deal for the health and well being of teen mothers and their children, according to the government. “Teen mothers want to do their best for their own health and that of their child, but some can become overwhelmed by life as a parent,” researchers said in a statement. “Having more than one child as a teen can limit the teen mother’s ability to finish her education or get a job. Infants born from a repeat teen birth are often born too small or too soon, which can lead to more health problems for the baby.” There’s a cost to the rest of us, too. When you add up health, economic and other costs, births to teen mothers cost the nation about $11 billion, according to researchers. (NBC News)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.