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What's Good

•According to data from the CDC, maternal mortality in IN is especially low.

•According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Indianapolis is 27 percent more affordable than average for cities in our survey.

•At $69, the average doctor's office visit here is the 6th lowest in our survey, compared to a national average of $82.

•According to our survey of park departments, for every 10,000 residents, Indianapolis has 174 miles of public trails and pathways for hiking and stroller use, the 5th highest in our survey. The average city in our survey has 79 trail miles for every 10,000 residents.

•Indianapolis has plenty of high-risk pediatricians, 68 percent more than average per capita and the 10th highest in our survey.

•IN devotes more money relative to population than most states to child car-seat-check stations.

•Pedestrians have a 60 percent lower than average risk of being killed by a motor vehicle here-among the safest in our survey.

Needs Improvement

•16 percent of pregnant women in Indianapolis admit to smoking during pregnancy, the 3rd highest rate in our survey. Nationwide, 8 percent of pregnant women smoke.

•Babies here are 11 percent more likely than average to be born prematurely.

•Relative to population, Indianapolis has fewer specialty retailers of healthy/organic foods and vitamins than most places in our survey.

•Just 59 percent of Indianapolis mothers attempt breastfeeding. That's the 4th lowest percentage of any city in our report. The average for cities in our survey is 75 percent.

•By six months of age, 72 percent of Indianapolis babies aren't being breastfed at all. That's the 3rd poorest percentage of any city in our report. The average for cities in our survey is 57 percent.

•Not much can be done about the weather, but the local climate can be extreme -- not conducive to getting out and working off pregnancy weight gain.

•5.9 percent of Indianapolis 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. That's the 3rd lowest percentage among cities in our survey. The average for our survey is 12 percent.

•Once Indianapolis mothers begin breastfeeding, they are 15 percent less likely than average to continue through 6 months. That's the 6th lowest level of follow-through of any city in our report.

•Just 4.3 percent of births statewide are attended by midwives, compared to a national average of 7.3 percent.

•State laws do not require health insurance companies to provide or offer any fertility-related services.

•Indianapolis has only 0 licensed home day cares for every 1,000 children under 4 years, the lowest in our survey. The average city in our survey has 13.

•There are just 1.5 licensed day care centers for every 1,000 children under 4 years. The average city in our survey has 5.9.

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