by Joel Burgess
WIth the passing of Mother’s Day, Savethechildren.org recently released A Mother’s Day Report Card: the Best and Worst Countries to Be a Mother. The status of mothers was compared in 125 countries based on six indicators of women’s well-being and four indicators of children’s well-being. The results:
Interesting Conclusion #1 – Countries that save newborn lives also improve their prospects for economic growth and social development. According to the report, there are lifetime consequences when mothers do not receive adequate care and newborns get an unhealthy start in life. These babies are particularly vulnerable to illnesses that can impede their physical and cognitive development throughout childhood, which in turn reduces adult economic productivity and contributes to many other problems. Newborns who get a healthy start in life are more likely to reach their full potential, with benefits for themselves, their families and society as a whole.
Interesting Conclusion #2 – 
Sources: Newborn deaths: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Child Health USA2004. ( Rockville , Maryland : 2004); Percent of females with high school diploma or equivalent: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000.
Women who are educated are more likely to postpone marriage and early childbirth, seek health care for themselves and their families, and encourage all of their children, including girls, to go to school.
Interesting Conclusion #3 – Why is Sweden number one?
Sweden performed as well as or better than other countries in the ranking on all the indicators. It has the lowest infant mortality rate in the world and the highest percentage of women with seats in the national government.
Click here to view the full report