That's why the Chicago City Council would be out of line to pass an ordinance requiring health-care facilities to keep mothers and their newborns for at least 48 hours after birth.

Sponsored by Ald. Edward Burke (14th) and Virginia Rugai (19th), the proposal is based on guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics that recommend a 48-hour stay after a vaginal birth and a four-day stay after a Caesarean delivery.