Shawnee Mission Health Welcomed Record Number of Babies in 2016

The Birth Center at Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) welcomed a record-breaking 5,092 babies in 2016. This marks the second consecutive year that more than 5,000 babies have been delivered at SMMC, where more babies are delivered than at any other hospital in the metropolitan area.

"This number is a testament to the care we provide for moms, babies and families at the Shawnee Mission Birth Center," said Shawnee Mission Health's Administrative Director of Women's and Children's Services Margaret Meier. "We are honored every time a family trusts us to help bring their child into the world."

Some fun facts about the babies born at the Shawnee Mission Birth Center in 2016:

• 2,489 girls were delivered
• 2,603 boys were delivered
• 96 sets of multiples were delivered
• More babies were born in August (465) than in any other month, which was 40 weeks after the Royals won the 2015 World Series.
• The number of babies born at SMMC in 2016 is just slightly less than the population of Tonganoxie, Kan. (which is 5,165), and is approximately the number of diapers most babies go through in their first two years.

"We celebrate this record as a way to show appreciation for the families who have chosen our Birth Center and for the personal, understanding and compassionate care our physicians and nurses provide," said Meier. "It's a privilege to be the Birth Center of choice in the Kansas City area and we look forward to continued growth and the opportunity to serve even more families."

SMH has long been a leader in caring for women, children, and families. The Birth Center, which opened in February 2013, features spacious, soothing rooms and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for the tiniest of the patient. To learn more about the Birth Center, visit us online.