Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. 3 Million Newborns Die Within First Month by Joe DeCapua The humanitarian organization Save the Children has released its annual [1]State of the World's Mothers report. It says despite much progress being made in reducing maternal and child deaths, every year, three million babies die within the first month of life. Many just live a few hours. Save the Children President and CEO Carolyn Miles said there's a widespread and mistaken belief that little can be done to save newborn lives in developing countries. As a result, many babies die. ''"This year's report we really focused in on newborns. And we found that a baby's birthday is actually the most dangerous day of their life. More than one million babies are dying the actual day that they're born." There are several reasons why they're so at risk that first day. "It's when they can die of very preventable things. So babies are dying of infection. They're dying of complications at premature birth and they're dying of very simple things like not breathing at birth," she said. Miles said one region of the world stands out as being the worst for newborns. "Sub-Saharan Africa is the place where this is the biggest issue. And if you look at the index that we put together, the bottom 10 in that index are all sub-Saharan African countries. From a percentage standpoint that's where the most babies are dying." Forty percent of first day newborn deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa. Of the 176 countries that are ranked in the Mothers Index, DRC is at the very bottom. Rounding out the bottom 10 are Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Niger, Central African Republic, Gambia, Nigeria, Chad and Ivory Coast. Miles said, "I think the issue in sub-Saharan Africa is really getting the care that these newborns need to the places where they're being born. So, a lot of times the health system ends at a district level and there may not be a health post that's accessible to these women. So, one of the solutions here is getting more frontline health workers out into these communities to help mothers when they're giving birth." The Save the Children report says there are four simple interventions that could turn things around - each one costing between 13-cents and six dollars. First, steroid injections can be used for women in pre-term labor to reduce premature newborn deaths from breathing problems. Resuscitation devices can save babies who do not breathe at all at birth, while injectable antibiotics can treat newborns for sepsis and pneumonia. The final recommendation prevents umbilical cord infections. "We're looking at the use of a very simple antibiotic called chlorhexidine, which is put on the umbilical cord after the baby is born. And in Nigeria, the tradition is to use mud or cow dung or something like that on the umbilical cord and that obviously can have really dire consequences for babies," she said. Miles also cited a tradition in Nepal, which can put babies at risk. Women there, she said, may be encouraged to give birth in the barn with the animals. While the recommendations are simple and cheap, they're often not implemented in developing countries. The report blames that, in part, on a lack of political will by government leaders. The State of the World's Mothers report lists Finland as the top country for mothers and newborns. It's followed by Sweden, Norway, Iceland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Australia. The top 10 are credited with high levels of support and respect for women. As for the United States, Miles said, "The U.S. comes in 30 in the index this year. So that is not terrific, I would say. Thirtieth is not where I think most American women and mothers think they would end up. The disparity in the United States I think is what really drives the differences. So it is very much tracked to poverty." In fact, the United States leads industrialized countries in first day deaths for newborns, followed by Canada and Switzerland. As for the major emerging economies - the so-called BRICS nations - the 2013 Mother's Index ranks Brazil 78th and Russia 59th. India is in the 142nd position, while China is 68th and South Africa 78th. Country Rank: Finland 1 Turkey 60 Swaziland 119 Sweden 2 Romania 61 Bhutan 120 Norway 3 Mauritius 62 Lao People's Democratic Republic 121 Iceland 4 Oman 63 Nepal 121 Netherlands 5 Trinidad and Tobago 64 Angola 123 Denmark 6 Kazakhstan 65 Morocco 124 Spain 7 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 65 Tajikistan 124 Belgium 8 Bahamas 67 Senegal 126 Germany 9 China 68 Vanuatu 127 Australia 10 Lebanon 68 Guatemala 128 Austria 11 Malaysia 70 Sao Tome and Principe 129 Switzerland 12 Ecuador 71 Cambodia 130 Portugal 13 Saint Lucia 72 Lesotho 131 Slovenia 14 Peru 73 Uganda 132 Singapore 15 Algeria 74 Micronesia (Federated States of) 133 France 16 El Salvador 74 Solomon Islands 133 Italy 17 Ukraine 74 United Republic of Tanzania 135 New Zealand 17 South Africa 77 Bangladesh 136 Greece 19 Brazil 78 Burundi 137 Ireland 20 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 79 Mozambique 138 Estonia 21 Thailand 80 Pakistan 139 Canada 22 Albania 81 Equatorial Guinea 140 United Kingdom 23 Cape Verde 81 Ethiopia 141 Czech Republic 24 Colombia 83 India 142 Israel 25 Republic of Moldova 84 Sudan 143 Belarus 26 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 85 Malawi 144 Lithuania 26 Maldives 86 Afghanistan 145 Poland 28 Vietnam 86 Ghana 146 Luxembourg 29 Belize 88 Eritrea 147 United States 30 Nicaragua 89 South Sudan 147 Japan 31 Sri Lanka 89 Zimbabwe 147 Republic of Korea 31 Mongolia 91 Togo 150 Cuba 33 Dominican Republic 92 Madagascar 151 Croatia 34 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 93 Myanmar 152 Slovakia 35 Georgia 94 Cameroon 153 Argentina 36 Armenia 95 Mauritania 154 Serbia 36 Jamaica 96 Djibouti 155 Latvia 38 Panama 96 Kenya 156 Cyprus 39 Azerbaijan 98 Congo 157 Macedonia 40 Turkmenistan 99 Papua New Guinea 158 Costa Rica 41 Suriname 100 Zambia 159 Montenegro 42 Namibia 101 Benin 160 Bulgaria 43 Tonga 102 Burkina Faso 161 Bahrain 44 Jordan 103 Yemen 162 Malta 45 Kyrgyzstan 104 Comoros 163 Saudi Arabia 46 Uzbekistan 105 Haiti 164 Bosnia and Herzegovina 47 Indonesia 106 Guinea-Bissau 165 Barbados 48 Philippines 106 Liberia 166 Mexico 49 Gabon 108 Côte d'Ivoire 167 United Arab Emirates 50 Guyana 109 Chad 168 Chile 51 Timor-Leste 110 Nigeria 169 Grenada 52 Honduras 111 Gambia 170 Hungary 52 Syrian Arab Republic 112 Central African Republic 171 Uruguay 54 Iraq 113 Niger 172 Kuwait 55 Paraguay 114 Mali 173 Tunisia 56 Samoa 115 Sierra Leone 174 Libya 57 Botswana 116 Somalia 175 Qatar 58 Rwanda 117 Democratic Republic of the Congo 176 Russian Federation 59 Egypt 118 __________________________________________________________________ [2]http://www.voanews.com/content/annual-mothers-report-7may13/1655999. html References 1. http://www.savethechildrenweb.org/SOWM-2013/ 2. http://www.voanews.com/content/annual-mothers-report-7may13/1655999.html