Baby Boom Hits York County
A pervasive health condition has taken root in the York area. Authorities are at a loss to explain why it has spread so quickly. Fortunately, the condition clears up on its own in about nine months.
It’s baby fever.
A baby boomlet produced 383 births at York and Memorial hospitals in July 2007, up from the normal July average of about 310. The rise has kept local hospitals and health care providers hopping—including Julie Drolet, MD, an obstetrician at WomanCare OB/GYN in York.
"I was looking at a pregnancy wheel and asking my staff, 'Did something happen between early October and early November last year?' There were no blackouts, no snowstorms," Dr. Drolet said.
Dr. Drolet was so busy that sometimes two of her patients were admitted at the same time, something very rare for a solo practitioner.
"Thank goodness there was at least 30 to 40 seconds between deliveries," she said.
Hospitals reorganized floors to make room for the influx of postpartum mothers and babies. Working like well-oiled machines, staffs honed their checkout procedures for mothers and babies.
And things aren’t about to slow down. York and Memorial hospitals reported 356 births in August and 324 in September.
In the past five years, as York's population has grown, Dr. Drolet's patient load has doubled. She now delivers 20 to 24 infants a month.
"Five or six years from now, we might want to check on the schools," she said.
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Last Updated: 11/20/2008