SEATTLE — Having a baby is one of life’s biggest milestones, but a new study found that geography can play a major role in how safe, affordable, and supportive that experience will be.
A ConsumerAffairs report analyzed maternal health care access, childbirth costs, family leave policies, and health outcomes for mothers and infants in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. New Hampshire topped the list, followed by Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Washington ranked No. 10 overall, earning high marks for postpartum and family support (third in the nation).
“One of the biggest reasons [Washington] does so well is because of the state family leave program,” Ella Gomes, the Junior Digital Public Relations Associate for ConsumerAffairs, told KIRO Newsradio. “Washington parents receive up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, giving families valuable time to recover, bond, and adjust to life with a newborn. The state also offers a maximum weekly paid leave benefit of $1,647, which is very helpful for creating meaningful financial stability.”
And when it comes to maternal and infant health outcomes, Washington ranks No. 6 in the nation.
“So these metrics tell us how mothers and babies are actually doing after birth, and they’re some of the most important indicators in the entire study,” Gomes said. “In Washington, there were 25 maternal deaths per 100,000 women within a year of giving birth from causes related to pregnancy, and the state’s infant mortality rate was 4.79 deaths per 1,000 live births.”
Another area Washington struggled in the study was access to health care, which was one of the biggest factors separating the states at the top from those at the bottom. Our neighbor to the south, Oregon, was ranked the fifth-best state to have a baby.
“While only 8.3% of counties in Oregon are classified as material health care deserts, that number jumps to more than 20% in Washington,” Gomes said. “So that’s definitely an area for Washington to improve in. Additionally, we found that 83.1% of women in Washington receive adequate or intermediate prenatal care, which is encouraging, but also means that many women may not be receiving the same level of care.”
Eight of the 10 worst states for having a baby are in the south, with West Virginia ranking last because of high childbirth costs and weaker maternal health outcomes.
While not every family can choose where they live, the report highlights how state policies really can shape the experience of welcoming a new child.
This story was originally published MyNorthwest.com.
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