Moms matter! The bond between a mom and her baby is priceless.
Ahhhhhhh!!!
Without moms, the human race would come to a halt. We can all agree that we need them. But you know what else we need? For them to be healthy! And for many mothers around the world, this isn’t an easy task. Here’s what you need to know about moms and their health:
Over and over again, research shows the crucial role that mothers play in the well-being of their families. A child’s physical, mental, and emotional health, their academic success, their economic prospects — not to mention their day-to-day survival and the strength of the family — all of it can be tied back to mom in some way. Kind of a big deal.
But the very act of becoming a mom can be pretty dangerous in some parts of the world. Women in developing countries, particularly those who live in rural areas and poorer communities, are at risk of dying from complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
However, there’s some great news on that front:
Between 1990 and 2013, maternal mortality worldwide dropped by almost 50%. — World Health Organization
And even better? The things that are putting expecting moms at risk of death are generally preventable — things like infection, hemorrhage, hypertension, obstructed labor, and complications of unsafe abortions. That’s a lot of lives that could be saved with proper care.
Right off the bat, the number of moms who die from pregnancy and childbirth complications could be slashed by 30% if women had access to family planning.
The best part about knowing these statistics is that you can do something simple to help. You can tell your representatives in Congress you support legislation that aims to keep moms and their kiddos healthy with a call, tweet, or email.
You can also sign this petition to encourage Congress not to overlook women who need access to family planning services and maternal health care.
Using our voices matters!
If you have a minute, you might enjoy the sweet mom-and-child pairs in this video
