South Carolina one of the worst places to have a baby, study says

After comparing cost and health care accessibility, financial site Wallethub found South Carolina is one of the worst places in the U.S. to have a baby, according to a new study.

The state was ranked 49th overall,beating only Alabama and Mississippi on the list taking a look at all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The study considered 26 factors to rank states on quality, including hospital delivery charges, average health insurance premiums, infant mortality rates, maternal mortality, rate of preterm births and parental leave policies.

Overall, the Palmetto State ranked 49th in baby-friendliness, which includes things like child care centers per capita, in which the state ranked 29th overall, according to a Wallethub statement. It also includes parental leave policies, in which South Carolina ranked 40th.

South Carolina was ranked 48th in health care for pregnant mothers and newborns. That measure included infant mortality, in which the state ranked 38th.

A complete list of South Carolina’s rankings in the study follows:

• Overall rank: 49
• Cost: 34
• Health care: 48
• Baby-friendliness: 49
• Family-friendliness: 44
• Hospital cesarean delivery charges: 28
• Hospital conventional delivery charges: 25
• Infant mortality rate: 38
• Rate of low birth weight: 45
• Midwives and OB-GYNs per capita: 45
• Pediatricians and family doctors per capita: 25
• Child care centers per capita: 28
• Parental leave policy: 40

This story was originally published August 13, 2018 at 10:51 AM.