‘Dying Babies’

I applaud the work of the Southern California Child Health Network and the editorial “The Dying Babies” (March 29). It is indeed a tragedy that thousands of California’s babies die in the face of indisputable evidence which shows that ensuring access to prenatal care services is more humane and cost effective than treating premature, low birth weight infants with intensive medical services. Moreover, such access to prenatal care must not be dependent on partisan politics in Sacramento.

Clearly, a comprehensive statewide solution is needed to address this problem in the long-run. In the meantime, counties must respond on their own. To this end, I will continue to push for increased county funding for prenatal care services to low-income women in Los Angeles.

EDMUND D. EDELMAN

Supervisor, Third District

Los Angeles County