As schools start this August, the streets fill with laughter of children running to and from school. Flying home from summer vacations would not be the same without at least one crying infant. It is easy to take our posterity for granted when they seem to surround us.
However, childbirth and early childhood can be one of the most dangerous times for a person. Modern medicine has largely decreased the threat of diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhea; that is not the case around the world. Each year, 5.6 million children die from preventable, treatable causes. Further, over 300,000 women die from pregnancy-related causes every year, according to the World Health Organization.