Kids & Family

Is Carmageddon Causing a Local Baby Boom?

Nine months after the 405 freeway closed, Southern California might be experiencing a wave of "special deliveries."

NBC 4 recently sat down with the Souferians, a West Los Angeles couple who will be welcoming a baby boy into the family about nine months after Carmageddon, the infamous weekend the 405 Freeway closed. But, according to the report, the Souferians may be one of the many families preparing for an early-April due date!

In an NBC 4 report, the OB/GYN department at Cedars-Sinai said its prenatal classes are "fuller than they often are," indicating that there may be more special deliveries on the way.

The well-traveled 405 freeway was shutdown from July 16-18 while crews performed demolition work on the Mulholland Bridge. During that time, officials warned Angelenos to stay home, so that detour roads wouldn't be at a standstill.

Find out what's happening in Eagle Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For better or worse, many people heeded that warning and spent the weekend without hopping in the car. Obstetrician Dr. Robert Katz told NBC 4 that the time spent off the road could have helped couples conceive. (A similar phenomenon is attributed to a baby boom that followed the 9/11 attacks, a period not just of considerable psychological insecurity but also of relatively reduced travel.)

"When people relax, whether they are vacationing or whether the freeway is closed down, they do have more of a chance than when everybody’s stressed out," Katz told NBC 4.

Find out what's happening in Eagle Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Wondering when a Carmageddon baby would be due? April 9, according to the report.


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