
These figures are shocking. Two newborns die every minute? Is this some mad way Mother Nature reduces human overpopulation to protect itself?
The risk of death for both mothers and babies remains the highest in developing nations. The world's toughest place to be a mother is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The charity says we can end child and maternal mortality in our generation by using tried and tested interventions to stop mothers and babies being lost from what should be simple preventable causes. Find the link to Save the Children here.
I like the sound of simple, preventable causes. Of course, the charity needs money to carry out its plans.

With high teenage pregnancy and IVF pregnancy rates, the UK has a higher proportion of young and old mothers than much of Europe. Save the Children says another reason is poverty and inequality, as women with unemployed partners are six times more likely to die as a result of complications during pregnancy or childbirth.
The high teenage pregnancy is a contentious issue. Close to where I live, young woman plan their lives around their pregnancies. My husband used to drive a taxi and heard girls who were out for the evening at a club, talking about when to schedule their next pregnancy. The government supplies their own home and gives them money for each child. A woman need never do a thing but have a good time at pubs and parties as long as she produces a baby every now and then, to fund her lifestyle. These young women sit at coffee-houses and chat for hours with female friends in the same situation—something an old-age pensioner could never afford. Sigh. Step back and accept the laws of the land, which are in place to protect the children. Maybe they will change one day.

- 1 Finland
- 2 Sweden
- 3 Norway
- 4 Iceland
- 5 The Netherlands
- 6 Denmark
- 7 Spain
- 8 Belgium
- 9 Germany
- 10 Australia
- 11 Austria
- 12 Switzerland
- 13 Portugal
- 14 Slovenia
- 15 Singapore
- 16 France
- 17 Italy
- 18 New Zealand
- 19 Greece
- 20 Ireland
- 21 Estonia
- 22 Canada
- 23 United Kingdom
- 24 Czech Republic
- 25 Israel
- 30 USA
This is another shock. The US & the UK are behind all these other countries in their quality of life for mothers and babies.