DNA Test: 13-Year-Old Isn't Father

Will take DNA test to disprove two other teens' claims

(NEWSER) - Four-foot-tall teen dad Alfie Patten will take a DNA test to prove he really is the father of girlfriend Chantelle Steadman’s daughter Maisie, the Mail reports. Photos of the baby-faced 13-year-old caused an uproar last week, and two other teens came forward to claim they also slept with Chantelle. Patten’s father wants the DNA test, saying, “I thought a boy of his age wasn’t capable of conceiving.” More»

They need guidance, sure, but who cares if they go on the dole?

(NEWSER) - Don’t be so sure 13-year-old Alfie Patten and 15-year-old Chantelle Steadman will be bad parents for their newborn, Sarah Sands writes in the Independent. Sure, the young father “loves computer games and Manchester United,” but that “does not actually set Alfie apart from the adult male population.” The kids will have parental and state support, and what “this dazed-looking father needs is some direction and guidance.” More»

Teen parent stands barely four feet tall

(NEWSER) - Thirteen-year-old Alfie Patten, who, with his baby face, could pass for eight, became a father on Monday, the Sun reports. The 4-foot-tall Brit—who did not know how much diapers cost but said, "I think it’s a lot"—was not sure how he and girlfriend Chantelle Steadman, 15, would care for their daughter. "I don’t really get pocket money," he said. "My dad sometimes gives me £10." More»

New rules allow pharmacies to dispense for free, without prescription

(NEWSER) - Wales began a controversial new policy today that allows pharmacists to dispense the morning-after pill for free to girls as young as 13. The teens won't need a doctor's prescription or their parents' permission. It's part of a plan to cut down on teen pregnancy among Welsh girls, who have some of the highest rates in Europe, reports AP . The new rules allow women of all ages to get the pill without a prescription, but the part about giving it to teens under the age of consent (16) is drawing the most attention. More»

(NEWSER) - A British National Health Service trust posted a controversial staged video on YouTube showing a teenager giving birth amid a pack of yelling high schoolers as a way to scare girls about pregnancy, reports the Daily Mail. The video shows a teen, played by an actress, giving birth on a sports field with the help of a friend whose face is smeared with blood. More»