LOGAN – Given its propensity to having large families, it’s easy to imagine that Utah offers the best of all environments for having babies.
Not so, according to a recent nationwide study by researchers at Autism 360, who found that the Beehive State was projected to rank ninth in the U.S. for having the strongest support network for new parents in 2026.
Utah’s position in that state ranking was assured due to having the nation’s lowest infant mortality rate, its highest vaccination rate and the highest per capita birth rate at 60 live births per every 1,000 women.
The analysts at the autism advocacy group based in North Carolina say that having a baby in America has never been more expensive or more complicated.
Those experts report that the cost of childbirth often rival that of purchasing a car and childcare expenses across the county are soaring. The early parenting experience is also made more complicated by hospital fees, access to obstetricians and pediatricians, insurance premiums and even babysitting fees which can vary widely depending on geography.
The Centers for Disease Control also warns that many southern states are experiencing persistent gaps in maternal mortality, particularly in rural areas.
Against this backdrop, the Autism 360 study took a data-driven look at having babies that analyzed 15 metrics, including costs, health outcomes and access to maternal and pediatric care to determine states where families are most supported.
Using data from the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the CDC and the U.S. Census Bureau among others, the study found the top ten baby-friendly states to be Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Ohio, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, Utah and Indiana.
The Autism 360 study revealed that insurance coverage, prenatal care access and the number of obstetricians and pediatricians in each state heavily shaped the experience of young parents. States with higher vaccination rates, strong public health programs and more robust food-security networks typically scored better in child outcomes.
Delivery costs continue to vary dramatically, however, from less than $13,000 in Alabama to more than $34,000 in California for the same procedure.
Moreover, in more than half of U.S. states, the cost of infant care now exceeds that of in-state college tuition.
Based in North Carolina, Autism 36 specializes in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children and adolescents affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), providing a collaborative, team-oriented approach to ABA therapy that focuses on the whole child to ensure the best possible outcome.