Survey ranks Iowa high as place to raise kids

Iowa ranks among the nation’s top ten states to have and raise a newborn. The Hawkeye State placed seventh on the “Best States for Babies” list compiled by Child magazine and highlighted in its October issue. Child’s senior editor Karen Cicero says they used 20 different benchmarks, including: mandating of newborn screenings, quality of child care and health care, presence of a childrens’ hospital, number of pediatritions, and pro-breast feeding legislation that allows moms to breastfeed in public. Cicero says Iowa ranked so well on the national survey because of several key factors, especially one that requires all newborns to be tested for a wide variety of ailments. She says Iowa’s newborn screening program contains more than 20 tests, which is among the nation’s best. Iowa also has very few uninsured children at fewer than five-percent — meaning, more than 95-percent of Iowa’s children have health insurance, an “excellent number.” She says Iowa also excells in other areas.This is the first year for Child’s rankings. Get more details at “www.child.com”. The top five states according to the survey are: at number one, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The worst are: North Dakota, South Carolina, Mississippi, Nevada and, in last place, Alabama.