Newborn Promise
Oakland 'godmother’ who curbed black infant death rate retires
December 10, 2014
Oakland reluctantly parted with a godmother last week, as public health nurse Sandra Tramiel made the final rounds of a career devoted to reducing an African American infant mortality rate that remains among the most stubborn in the country.
Midwives and Docs
California's licensed midwives push for more responsibility
September 11, 2013
For her second child, Angie Rivera chose to give birth not at a hospital, but at the Community Birth Center on West Florence Avenue in South Los Angeles. Angie’s husband, Joseph O’Day and her midwife, Racha Tahani Lawler, were by her side for the...
Baby Time
California’s generous maternity leave benefits sometimes unknown to working parents
June 6, 2013
For parents of newborns – or those expecting one – congratulations! And start planning.
Scheduling baby's birthday
U.S. delivers too many preemies. California does too
May 2, 2012
If California were a country, it would tie with Fiji for the percentage of babies born too early. In 2010, nearly 10 babies out of every 100 were born before 37 weeks of gestation.
Scheduling baby's birthday
Questions and answers about early elective childbirth
March 20, 2012
We’ve reported extensively on how hospitals across the state and country are reducing early elective deliveries of babies.
Scheduling baby's birthday
The Myth of the Big Baby
March 9, 2012
My friend had been pushing for four hours.
“You have a size nine baby coming out of a size seven pelvis,” her doctor said.
Scheduling baby's birthday
KPCC: Childbirth by appointment
February 17, 2012
Corrie Carroll’s husband travels for work a lot. So, when it came time to give birth to their daughter, the couple made an appointment. Carroll said the experience was perfect.
“He arrived home from Europe on a Wednesday night and we drove to the...
Rethinking Early Childbirth
Feds announce plan to reduce early elective births
February 8, 2012
Now the feds are jumping in.
This morning, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a national campaign to reduce elective deliveries of babies before 39 weeks of pregnancy, saying the effort will improve care and save millions.