Susan Levenstein is an internal medicine physician and author of Dottoressa: An American Doctor in Rome.She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "An American doctor in Rome."
First published on Sat 8 May 2021 11.00 EDT
As if having a baby wasnât expensive enough, fathers of newborns in the mountain hamlets that make up Italyâs Val dâUltimo have an additional cost. In a revival of an ancient myth that white storks deliver babies, carved wooden storks carrying a newborn child in a sling are a common feature outside homes in the valley. They are put there by friends of the father and there they remain until he stumps up for a round of drinks.
âThere has been a noticeable increase in storks and other symbols of birth being put outside someoneâs house, especially in recent years,â said Stefan Schwarz, the mayor of Ultimo, home to almost 3,000 people spread over three hamlets.
As if having a baby wasn’t expensive enough, fathers of newborns in the mountain hamlets that make up Italy’s Val d’Ultimo have an additional cost. In a revival of an ancient myth that white storks deliver babies, carved wooden storks carrying a newborn child in a sling are a common feature outside homes in the valley. They are put there by friends of the father and there they remain until he stumps up for a round of drinks. “There has been a.