Report: U.S. is 25th best place to be a mom

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Just in time for Mother's Day, an annual ranking of the best and worst countries in which to be a mom puts the USA in 25th place, up from 31st last year.

The 13th annual State of the World's Mothers report by the Save the Children foundation, out today, examines the well-being of mothers and their children in 165 countries, based on a range of measures, including mothers' education, infant mortality and breastfeeding rates.

Norway tops the overall list of best places to be a mother and ranks among the very best on contraceptive use, female education and political representation. It has one of the most generous maternity-leave policies in the developed world.

The improvement in the USA's rank is due largely to increases in its already high educational status, which benefits the economic potential of women and mothers, says Carolyn Miles, president of the charity.

The USA still performs below average overall and quite poorly on a number of measures, Miles says, including:

Lifetime risk of dying from childbirth. Mothers in the USA face a one-in-2,100 risk of maternal death, the highest of any industrialized nation.

Mortality rate of children. The death rate for children younger than 5 is eight per 1,000 births. A child in the USA is four times as likely as a child in Iceland to die before age 5. Forty countries performed better than the U.S.

Maternity-leave polices. Policies in the USA are among the least generous of any wealthy nation. It is the only developed country, and one of only a handful of countries in the world, that does not guarantee working mothers paid leave.

Niger, in western Africa, is last on the index. It is in the grip of a worsening hunger situation, threatening the lives of a million children, Miles says.

The child-mortality rate in Niger is one in six, vs. one in 333 in Norway, offering "the starkest contrast that you can see," she says.

The report emphasizes nutrition as a key factor in determining mothers' and their children's well-being. Malnutrition is the underlying cause of more than 2.6 million child deaths each year, it says.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/05/07/20120507report-us-25th-best-place-mom.html#ixzz1uJRR8MjI

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

A lot of that is due to the large influx of illegal immigrants in the US.

[mawilson 2,133]

First-class citizens in this country have access to first-class healthcare.

Illegals and other riff raff - who cares.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

First-class citizens in this country have access to first-class healthcare.

Illegals and other riff raff - who cares.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Are we ahead of Australia?

[mawilson 2,133]

Are we ahead of Australia?

No way.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

No way.

Would you please post some type of graph or chart to prove this?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Would you please post some type of graph or chart to prove this?

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.8076153/k.B2B6/Chronic_Malnutrition_and_Child_Survival__Facts_and_Stats.htm#.T6mYk1Ll35M

Australia is #7

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Would you please post some type of graph or chart to prove this?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.8076153/k.B2B6/Chronic_Malnutrition_and_Child_Survival__Facts_and_Stats.htm#.T6mYk1Ll35M

Australia is #7

Somehow I just knew it.

[mawilson 2,133]

Would you please post some type of graph or chart to prove this?

I miss him too, man.