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What's Good

•Compared to other states, California has among the most generous family-leave and disability laws in our survey.

•California allows greater dependent-related tax breaks than most.

•The CDC reports very low infant mortality rates for California.

•San Francisco babies are 25 percent less likely than average to be born with low birth weight.

•Babies here are 27 percent less likely than average to be born prematurely.

•Just 2 percent of pregnant women here receive late or inadequate prenatal care, the 5th best score in our survey. In the average city in our survey, 5 percent receive late or inadequate care.

•Air quality here is better here than most cities in our survey. Air quality has been linked to childhood asthma and fertility rates, among other things.

•87 percent of San Francisco mothers attempt breastfeeding. That's the 4th highest percentage of any city in our report. The average for cities in our survey is 75 percent.

•By six months of age, 57 percent of San Francisco babies are still being breastfed. That's the 3rd highest percentage of any city in our report. The average for cities in our survey is 43 percent.

•California has particularly progressive laws guaranteeing a nursing mother the right to breastfeed in public.

•The local climate is especially mild - perfect for getting out and working off pregnancy weight gain.

•17.0 percent of San Francisco mothers breastfeed their babies exclusively (meaning no solids, formula or other liquids) for 6 months or longer as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, making it the 5th highest scoring city in this category. The average for cities in our survey is 12 percent.

•Once San Francisco mothers begin breastfeeding, they are 16 percent more likely than average to continue through 6 months. That's the 5th highest level of follow-through of any city in our report.

•There are 27 percent more fertility doctors per capita here than average-the 6th highest ratio in our survey.

•San Francisco has plenty of high-risk pediatricians, 70 percent more than average per capita and the 8th highest in our survey.

•San Francisco has more OB-GYNs than average, the 6th highest in our survey.

•California stands out in a measure of legislation related to cord blood education, research and related issues.

•San Francisco has 17 licensed home day cares for every 1,000 children under 4 years, the 10th highest in our survey. The average city in our survey has 13.

Needs Improvement

•Hospital costs here are among the highest in our survey.

•At $94, the average doctor's office visit here is the 9th highest in our survey, compared to a national average of $82.

•According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, San Francisco is 80 percent less affordable than average for cities in our survey.

•According to our survey of park departments, for every 10,000 residents, San Francisco has 5 miles of public trails and pathways for hiking and stroller use, the 2nd lowest in our survey. The average city in our survey has 79 trail miles for every 10,000 residents.

•There are no state laws requiring day care workers to undergo special SIDS prevention training. Many other states mandate such training.

•In a comparison of inspection schedules for day-care centers, California requires less frequent visits than average.

•According to the Urban Mobility Report from Texas A&M University, San Francisco has one of the worst commutes of any city in our survey. It takes 54 percent longer to drive the same route during rush hour than in free-flowing traffic. That puts a lot more pressure on parents rushing to day care at the end of the day.

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