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What's Good

•Babies here are 30 percent less likely than average to be born prematurely.

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

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

•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.

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

•87 percent of Oakland 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 Oakland 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.

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

•17.0 percent of Oakland 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 Oakland 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.

•Oakland has one doula for every 94 live births, the 3rd highest ratio in our survey. The national average is one doula per 649 live births.

•Oakland has 42 midwives for every 1,000 births, the 5th highest in our survey. The national average is 37 midwives for every 1,000 births.

•Oakland has 38 lactation consultants for every 10,000 live births, the 7th highest ratio in our survey. The average city in our survey has 23 lactation consultants per 10,000 live births.

•Oakland 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, Oakland is 54 percent less affordable than average for cities in our survey.

•There are 22 percent fewer advanced fertility clinics per capita than average here, the 11th lowest ratio in our survey.

•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.

•Oakland's violent crime rate is 83 percent higher than average, the 4th highest in our survey, in fact.

•Pedestrians have a 35 percent higher than average risk of being killed by a motor vehicle here-among the most dangerous in our survey.

•According to the Urban Mobility Report from Texas A&M University, Oakland 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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