Happy Mother's Day! I think I speak for all mothers when I say the best Mother's Day gift was the day you became a mom. So this day is very special for us. It honors the strength and sacrifice it takes to be a mom. It's truly a labor of love! That's why I am taking time out from celebrating my personal journey into motherhood this weekend to raise awareness for prenatal health.
A healthy pregnancy and early childhood is not something to take for granted. Most likely you had a obstetrician or midwife inform you that deficiencies in iodine, folic acid, iron and other vitamins and minerals can cause serious harm to mothers and babies, but many women aren’t aware of the problem because they lack access to prenatal care and prenatal vitamins.
The infographic below breaks it down. The statistic that struck me the most is that "poor nutrition is the underlying cause of 35% of all childhood deaths each year." This figure is unacceptable to me because it is a preventable tragedy, especially here in the United States. The U.S. was recently ranked 30th among the best and worst places for mothers and babies because nutritional deficiency in pregnancy still affects a significant number of mothers in our own country. It makes me realize how lucky I am to have had such excellent prenatal care and given birth to two healthy, beautiful babies.
But there is hope for all mothers-to-be. The following nonprofits are working to nourish babies and mommies around the world:
- March of Dimes: helping moms have full-term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies.
- Future Fortified: a global campaign to help millions of women and children around the world access to the essential nutrients they need to lead healthy, enriched lives.
- UNICEF-GAIN: working to reducing child and maternal mortality rates in the developing world.
8 comments:
I totally agree about being a Mom is the best mothers day gift!
Great information about how we can make a difference in this world. Every mom and baby deserve to be happy and healthy.
Wow 18 million defects! How scary would it be to have a baby born with extra needs in a 3rd world country! Thanks for giving us ways to help.
It's insane. You would think that tis day and age the things would be so different for the better for everyone
Wow...that's so true...a healthy baby is definitely a precious gift.
Becoming a mom is the best thing that has ever happened in my lfie.
The March of Dimes is dear to my heart. My daughter was a preemie. She was fine & didn't have to go to NICU but I was scared!!!
It is so sad that so many babies die from things we take for granted. So happy there are organizations around such as these to help out. As a country we should be doing more too.
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