The Best Cities in America to Have a Baby – 2008
“Rankings were compiled for the 50 U.S. cities with the largest population. We analyzed 47 weighted categories.”
Louisville / Jefferson County, Kentucky scored a 42 out of 50
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Affordability
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B
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Fertility Laws/Resources
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F
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Maternal and Infant Health Risk
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F+
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Access to Hospitals/Doctors
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A-
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Breastfeeding
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F
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Child Care
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D+
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Birthing Options
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D+
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Safety
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B-
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Stroller Friendliness
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D+
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[some of] What they say “Needs Improvement”
•Babies here are 22 percent more likely than average to be born prematurely.
•Just 59 percent of Louisville-Jefferson mothers attempt breastfeeding. That’s the 3rd lowest percentage of any city in our report. The average for cities in our survey is 75 percent.
•By six months of age, 74 percent of Louisville-Jefferson babies aren’t being breastfed at all. That’s the 2nd poorest percentage of any city in our report. The average for cities in our survey is 57 percent.
•7.5 percent of Louisville-Jefferson mothers breastfeed their babies exclusively (meaning no solids, formula or other liquids) for 6 months or longer as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. That’s the 10th lowest percentage among cities in our survey. The average for our survey is 12 percent.
•Once Louisville-Jefferson mothers begin breastfeeding, they are 20 percent less likely than average to continue through 6 months. That’s the 4th lowest level of follow-through of any city in our report.
•Louisville-Jefferson has 5 midwives for every 1,000 births, the 4th lowest in our survey. The national average is 37 midwives for every 1,000 births.
I have some to add to the list too…..
