Baby Blues

THERE'S a disturbing cultural message in the closing of yet another maternity unit in the city. Actually, we can think of a few.

How about: A country pouring billions of dollars into a war in which thousands are being killed can't figure out how to make sure women can have babies safely close to home.

How about: It's easier to find a place to get Botox than it is to find a place to deliver.

Or that we obsess about where celebrities like Angelina Jolie are having their babies rather than paying attention to the fact that women in our city, poor and rich alike face a shrinking pool of maternity units. Chestnut Hill's is the third hospital in as many years to close its unit; 15 hospitals in the region have shut down their maternity units since 1997. They cite a combination of high malpractice insurance and low insurance reimbursements that makes the service too expensive. Only seven hospitals in the city will still offer obstetric care.

Although city officials say these closings don't pose a danger, we can't help worrying that high-risk pregnancies will be exacerbated by longer trips to the hospital. Or wondering why we don't put a higher priority on what it means to bring life safely into the world. *