A 13-year-old boy who fathered a child provoked a fierce political debate about whether Britain's schools need better sex education.
The case of baby-faced Alfie Patten - who was aged just 12 when the baby was conceived - exemplified the "complete collapse" of parts of society, it was claimed.
The news also added to the UK's reputation as Europe's capital for teenage pregnancies.
The debate was sparked after Alfie and 15-year-old Chantelle Steadman brought little Maisie Roxanne into the world at the Eastbourne District General Hospital, East Sussex.
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, who runs the Centre for Social Justice think tank, said the birth highlighted another case of "broken Britain" where "anything goes".
Tory leader David Cameron said children having children was "worrying" and that parenthood should not be something they should even be contemplating. Prime Minister Gordon Brown did not comment directly on the case but said "all of us would want to avoid teenage pregnancies".
Eastbourne Tory MP Nigel Waterson said the birth raised "huge" questions about sex education and the sexualisation of British society.
And Tony Kerridge, of the sexual health specialist Marie Stopes International, said children needed better education to develop aspirations and avoid a life of poverty.
Chantelle left hospital to return to her family's council house in Eastbourne on Thursday. She was being kept hidden from the media glare, while friends and relatives of Alfie left their detached home in Hailsham without comment.
Sussex Police said no action would be taken, with it "not in anyone's interests" to prosecute. And East Sussex County Council said the teenage parents would be supported with intensive monitoring and health visitor support.
