Got an Olivia or a Noah? They're Top Picks for Pittsburgh’s Baby Names in 2012

West Penn Allegheny Health System reveals the most popular names for this year’s crop of babies.

Oh, baby! West Penn Allegheny Health System has revealed the most popular names chosen for the 3,400 babies born at West Penn Hospital and Forbes Regional Hospital through November 2012. This year’s top monikers run the gamut of the literary, the Biblical, the distinguished-sounding, the traditional and those that reflect parental creativity. For girls, the No. 1 name on everyone's lips was Olivia. The top name for boys was Noah. West Penn Allegheny parents came up with about 700 different girls’ names and 600 different boys’ names. Many of them had no duplicate, according to the hospital. Sometimes, parents created their own name. Often they added a creative spelling or flourish to an old name, the hospital said. “A” is expected be a …

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Around the Rivers

Butterflies Take Flight to Honor Children

West Penn Hospital seeks to comfort families during the loss of a child with an annual Butterfly Release.

Friends and families will gather at West Penn Hospital’s atrium, the Wintergarden, today, June 10, for a special ceremony to commemorate the loss of a child. During the event, the families participate in the potting of a plant to take home in memory of their child. They also listen to inspirational readings and music in a serene atmosphere. The event culminates with the release of the butterflies. Lauren McLean, 28, a stylist at the Geno Levi Salon, 4000 Washington Road, was one of the parents who experienced such a loss. In 2010, McLean, when she was 19 weeks pregnant, received a distressing phone call. McLean said, “There was a problem with the ultrasound.” The child had developed cysts on his kidneys and had low amniotic fluid …

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