Mother Knows Best
It's often said that being a mother is the hardest job of all, but in many parts of the world, it's more than a trite saying. Simply bringing a healthy child into the world is a challenge. According to Save the Children, nearly three million children die in the first month of life due to mostly preventable causes, and a third of these babies die on their first day of life. In their 14th annual State of the World's Mothers report, Save the Children measured countries across a variety of metrics including women and children's health statistics, educational attainment, economic well-being and female participation in the political process to determine where it's best to be a mom. The results show a striking global disparity. Regionally, sub-Saharan Africa proved to be the worst place to be a mother, ranking low on every indicator except political participation. One woman in 29 will die during pregnancy or childbirth, whereas a mother in the industrialized world faces a 1-in-4,700 chance of dying. So where are the best places to be a mother? Read on. (AP Photo)
