The United States is the 33rd best place in the world to be a mother, according to the 2015 State of the World's Mothers report prepared by Save the Children. And, adding insult to injury, 33rd is actually two spots lower than last year's ranking. We are literally standing by as mothers die. This is not benign neglect -- it is malignant neglect.
Women in the United States face a 1 in 1,800 risk of maternal death, the worst odds of any developed country in the world, according to the report.
At 33rd, the U.S. ranks behind Croatia (30), Poland (28), Belarus (25), Portugal (16) and Italy (12). For some context, the monthly minimum wage in Portugal is less than 600 euros a month.
The top 10 best countries to be a mother are almost all European countries (from 1st to 10th): Norway, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Australia and Belgium.
That the U.S. is a tough place to be a mother should not be surprising to anyone. Just look at how our nation's capital compares to other capital cities in the rich world.
Among 25 of the wealthiest capital cities surveyed around the world, Washington, D.C. has the highest infant mortality rate. The study also found that babies from the District’s poorest wards are dying at much higher rates than the city’s already high average.
And, just 30 minutes from the nation's capital in Baltimore, two neighborhoods have higher infant mortality rates than the West Bank.
But there are two neighborhoods in Baltimore — Little Italy and Greenmount East — with infant mortality rates above 20. This means that for every 100 babies born there in 2013, two died before their first birthday. That's a higher rate than you find in the West Bank, Honduras, or Venezuela.
We should be ashamed.