Dr. Karen Guzzo

So, for instance, he has said that births should happen through C-sections rather than sort of a natural delivery under the impression that a natural delivery somehow squeezes the brain. So that babies born via C-section have bigger brains and are therefore smarter. I mean, that's not actually remotely medically accurate, but he has this loud microphone and people are listening to him.

So, for instance, he has said that births should happen through C-sections rather than sort of a natural delivery under the impression that a natural delivery somehow squeezes the brain. So that babies born via C-section have bigger brains and are therefore smarter. I mean, that's not actually remotely medically accurate, but he has this loud microphone and people are listening to him.

It probably won't make a big difference. I will say that I am all for giving families money. Families could always use extra money. That first year is really tough in particular after a baby is born because women often have to step back a little bit from work. And there are all these new expenses, including hospital bills and diapers and all those things. So that money would be great.

It probably won't make a big difference. I will say that I am all for giving families money. Families could always use extra money. That first year is really tough in particular after a baby is born because women often have to step back a little bit from work. And there are all these new expenses, including hospital bills and diapers and all those things. So that money would be great.

It would really help a lot of people. Is it likely to budge things in an appreciable, huge sense? Probably not. It might help some people on the margins who are like, all right, I was thinking about having another kid. Maybe now's a good time since I'm going to get this bonus. But it's not going to nudge people who were like, I'm not having kids and now I'm going to get this $5,000.

It would really help a lot of people. Is it likely to budge things in an appreciable, huge sense? Probably not. It might help some people on the margins who are like, all right, I was thinking about having another kid. Maybe now's a good time since I'm going to get this bonus. But it's not going to nudge people who were like, I'm not having kids and now I'm going to get this $5,000.

So it really might help people who are just not sure about the timing and they wanted to wait a little longer until they had maybe paid off the last set of hospital bills. But it's not going to make a huge difference.

So it really might help people who are just not sure about the timing and they wanted to wait a little longer until they had maybe paid off the last set of hospital bills. But it's not going to make a huge difference.

I mean, what I find a little concerning is that or perhaps even disingenuous is that we had a really great program through the American Rescue Plan that gave families extra money every month and it reduced child poverty. It didn't reduce employment very much, and it really helped people a lot. And we got rid of that plan. And it was widely available to people.

I mean, what I find a little concerning is that or perhaps even disingenuous is that we had a really great program through the American Rescue Plan that gave families extra money every month and it reduced child poverty. It didn't reduce employment very much, and it really helped people a lot. And we got rid of that plan. And it was widely available to people.

And so the idea that we would not, you know, help people that we knew to be effective, but instead have this sort of scheme for this $5,000 one-time baby bonus, unfortunately to me is a little disingenuous.

And so the idea that we would not, you know, help people that we knew to be effective, but instead have this sort of scheme for this $5,000 one-time baby bonus, unfortunately to me is a little disingenuous.

Well, one of the biggest concerns is that it really does privilege a certain type of family. So the $5,000 baby bonus, for instance, some of the policy specifics I've seen are about we should only give these to married couples or we should only give these to people who make about a certain amount of income. We don't want to incentivize poor women to have children.

Well, one of the biggest concerns is that it really does privilege a certain type of family. So the $5,000 baby bonus, for instance, some of the policy specifics I've seen are about we should only give these to married couples or we should only give these to people who make about a certain amount of income. We don't want to incentivize poor women to have children.

And so this idea that not everyone should be eligible, that only certain families are the right kind of families, I mean, that's really concerning. A lot of this concern, too, also lies in gender roles. Many people find women's independence threatening.

And so this idea that not everyone should be eligible, that only certain families are the right kind of families, I mean, that's really concerning. A lot of this concern, too, also lies in gender roles. Many people find women's independence threatening.

And so any movement that is about pushing women out of the labor force, the idea that they should stay home and raise their children and that they should sort of default to these very old fashioned rules, a lot of people are going to find that really uncomfortable. Most women do want to have kids, but they want to have them with a good partner.

And so any movement that is about pushing women out of the labor force, the idea that they should stay home and raise their children and that they should sort of default to these very old fashioned rules, a lot of people are going to find that really uncomfortable. Most women do want to have kids, but they want to have them with a good partner.

They want to have the option to have a safe delivery, safe pregnancy, you know, in some cases that's under threat. And so that's really some of the concern. And then again, there's this idea that there's a sort of this racial and class-based tinge to who should get to reproduce. So that is really concerning as well.

They want to have the option to have a safe delivery, safe pregnancy, you know, in some cases that's under threat. And so that's really some of the concern. And then again, there's this idea that there's a sort of this racial and class-based tinge to who should get to reproduce. So that is really concerning as well.