When teen mom Xochitl Parra gave birth in the shower to the baby she'd been secretly carrying for nine months, she probably had no idea that her secret would soon be national news.

Parra had no phone in her home and thought that it was too early to call the neighbors for help. So she wrapped the baby in a blanket and -- umbilical cord still attached -- walked and jogged four blocks to the nearest hospital where doctors immediately set to taking care of her and the baby.

Parra and the baby are both healthy and safe. Doctors say they are lucky, but that Parra did the right thing by seeking help right away. Though Parra was initially scared to tell her mom about the baby, the family is now making arrangements to raise the baby together.

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With teenage pregnancies in the U.S. on the media's front burner once again, a recent poll showed that a majority of parents favor schools providing students with birth control methods.

However, there were differences in the way some responded to the poll that gave insight into divisional-type thinking on this issue based on generational, income and racial groups. I can understand generational issues, but not really the other two.

67 percent of those polled supported providing students with birth control items, and 62 percent said that an effort like this would reduce teenage pregnancies.

What are your thoughts?

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A new government report, titled America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007, was released this week. Health experts say the findings serve as a "national report card" for the state of the health of the country's children.

The good:

• Fewer teens are having sex, and the teen birth rate hit an all time low in 2005.
• Children receiving recommended vaccinations are on the rise, up from 71% to 81%.
• Exposure to secondhand smoke has been reduced, but is still a significant 59%.
• In the 6-12 year old age group, the percentage of obesity tripled over the last 25 years.
• Violent crime is down significantly from 2003, though there was a small spike in 2005.
• About 88% of teens finish high school or earn a diploma.
• The number of children living in homes considered "food insecure" dropped, and the number of children living in homes where at least one parent was employed rose.

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