Massachusetts ranked as the best state to have a baby

Mass. — Thinking of starting a family? Massachusetts is the best state to have a baby, according to a new report.

Personal finance website WalletHub released its annual list of the best states to have a baby, and Massachusetts once again came out on top.

WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 31 key metrics covering affordability, health care accessibility, and baby- and family-friendliness. The analysis includes factors such as hospital conventional-delivery charges, annual average infant-care costs, and the number of pediatricians per capita.

Here are the key findings in Massachusetts:

• 12^th – Hospital Cesarean-Delivery Charges
• 25^th – Hospital Conventional-Delivery Charges
• 3^rd – Infant Mortality Rate
• 14^th – Rate of Low Birth-Weight
• 12^th – Midwives & OB-GYNs per Capita
• 1^st – Pediatricians & Family Medicine Physicians per Capita
• 13^th – Child-Care Centers per Capita
• 1^st – Parental-Leave Policy Score

“Massachusetts is the best state to have a baby, in large part because it has the third-lowest infant mortality rate in the country and the third-lowest maternal mortality rate. It also has the best neonatal hospitals in the country (for premature births or babies with health problems),” the study said.

Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut and Vermont also ranked in the top 10.

Massachusetts is also the best state for raising a family.

To view the full report, visit the link here.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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