Protecting Children

Cnn.com reports that, according to Save the Children, the United States has the second-worst newborn death rate in the developed world--due in a large part to disparities in access to health care. I hope that this report will lead us to look more closely at providing universal healthcare for all Americans. I simply can't understand why health insurance is still linked to employment, and why we would rather pay doctors and insurance companies large sums of money to manage an increasingly complex system, rather than guaranteeing basic coverage for everyone.

Even though the U.S. newborn death rate is high compared to other developed countries, nearly all infant and maternal deaths occur in poor countries. According to Melinda Gates in the introduction to the Save the Children report, "Three out of four newborn deaths could be avoided with simple, low-cost tools that already exist, such as antibiotics for pneumonia, sterile blades to cut umbilical cords and knit caps to keep babies warm." As Mother's Day approaches, I'm grateful to have had access to quality prenatal and well-baby care--and I'm mindful of the people worldwide who are not so fortunate.