...There were 152 babies born to Snohomish County teenagers in 2004, the latest statistics available from the Snohomish Health District.

That's half of the 1995 birth rate, when 228 babies were born to girls age 15 to 17.

It's a downward trend that follows that of the state and nation, where the lowest teen birth rates ever have been recorded.

Abortion rates also have fallen.

Most of the decrease in the birth rate is attributed to better use of contraceptives, though credit also goes to the fact that more teens are waiting to have sex, according to the New York-based Guttmacher Institute, a leading research agency.

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