America Is One of the Worst Places to Be a Mom

on May 3, 2011 at 2:15 PM

american moms fare worse Happy Mother's Day, ladies! Hopefully you're in for a weekend of sleeping in, massages, breakfast/lunch/dinner out, and lots of cards and flowers. And hopefully that will make up for the fact that the United States is again poorly ranked in the Save the Children Mother's Index on the best and worst places to be a mom in the world. Perhaps I'll ask for a facial with that massage this year.

As the moms of Scandinavia dominate the top of the list (again!), the United States comes in at a paltry #31 out of the 43 developed countries that are ranked in terms of health, education, and economic conditions for women and children. What the heck? I see plenty of us out and about with our Baby Bjorns. That's got to count for something, right?

Why does it suck so bad to be a mom in one of the wealthiest nations on earth?

First of all, women in America are seven times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than women in Italy or Ireland. Greece really mops the floor with us, as our risk is 15 times that of the average pregnant lady living on the islands. Additionally child mortality is quite pathetic in comparison, with the under-5 mortality rate of children in the United States being 8 out of 1,000 births. Which means a child in the United States under the age of 5 is twice as likely to die as a child in 40 other countries including Japan, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia, and Singapore.

What else is wrong? We have the fifth lowest ranking in the developed world regarding children enrolled in pre-school, the least generous maternity leave policy of ANY wealthy nation, and only 17 percent of congressional seats held by women. Unlike Sweden (45 percent) and Iceland (43 percent). No wonder we don't have those maternity leave policies in place.

Here are the top and bottom countries:

u.s. bad for moms

Okay, now I'm depressed and want to eat a bowl of ice cream. Which will not help that whole "maternal death" rate here, but perhaps will make up for the lack of maternity leave and early bonding I had with my babies when I had to go back to work. Yes?

How do you feel about living in a country with such bad news for women and children?

Image via Beverly & Pack/Flickr

About the author April Peveteaux

writes about anything that gets stuck in her craw. A mom of two in Los Angeles, she can't believe she practically lives in the country now after attempting to raise kids in Brooklyn.

Filed Under: baby health, childcare, maternity leave

Comments (13)

jaxmadre

on May 3, 2011 at 2:30 PM

Looks like I'm movin' to Norway! Kids, pack your Bioncles! We're gettin' outta here!!

(just kidding)

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Facebook comment from Jackie Jacobs

on May 3, 2011 at 2:47 PM

Ha, I knew it!

Nonmember comment from Anon

Well, first of all, we tend to go out of our way to start risky pregnancies (e.g., at late maternal ages, IVF with multiple embryos, etc.) Second, are you sure we're counting potentially viable babies the same way? We may be trying harder to save babies that would otherwise end up "stillborn." That, along with the first factor above, would affect the infant death rate as well. Then you have to factor in the fact that teen pregnancies are riskier and we have more of them. And don't forget the undocumented folks who may not have as much medical access as citizens (not saying they should). ... Another thing this ranking fails to consider is that some moms happen to want a meaningful career, and the USA is one of the best places for a woman to achieve that - partly because we don't demand the same amount of maternity leave as is supposedly standard in other countries. Personally I don't have a problem with the balance of what's available to US moms.

HistoryMamaX3

on May 3, 2011 at 3:01 PM

Like Anon said above me... there are a lot of factors that play into this. We do quite a bit more to try and help save younger babies with health risks in utero. We also have the highest c-section rate, which causes more deaths than we like to admit.

But, we also have the freedom of being stay at home moms. :-) Most of the scandinavian countries with the great maternity care EXPECT mothers to go back to work and contribute to the tax dollars. For most, it isn't an option to stay home with their little ones. Sure they have great services to send their kids to- but, I'm happy getting to do it myself.

Facebook comment from Kimberly Virga

on May 3, 2011 at 3:10 PM

Not to mention completely, American women have completely different mindsets than European, especially Scandanavian, women. We are upstarts, want to do everything ourselves, take on too much, grasping for endless independence- and that's all while we're still recovering from giving birth in the hospital! I have found (this is my opinion!) that European women are much, much more relaxed about life in general, and they have no need to feel like they are competing... we raise our own blood pressures with the competition, and, ahem- CONSTANT judging we do to each other. It factors into this.

butterflymkm

on May 3, 2011 at 4:24 PM

I like Kimberlys response. I also think birth is much more medical here vs other places where home births are the norm and birth is seen as natural and not a crisis so less risky interventions are used. I wish we had more women in government here, I think that would help change things.

Nonmember comment from Chris

on May 3, 2011 at 6:07 PM

I am an American expat in Europe. I do believe the statistics in birth/death rates are skewed due to factors mentioned above. I also think women in the US are deprived of decent maternity benefits - staying home 1 yr or more, securing their job after that time or getting affordable child care. I also don't think that being conditioned to put your work above all else, as most Americans do is any good. A previous poster said she liked the balance because she thinks women have more opportunities in the US & the pay off is fair. Sorry to be the barer of bad news, but I think you say that to convince yourself that it's OK you don't: get good maternity benefits, fair treatment after leaving a job you may have wanted to go back to or affordable child care. I not only get great maternity care (a good salary while home), but good health care is automatic, my job (if I want to go back) is secured & GOOD affordable childcare. Would I trade that so I can get 3 weeks off, maybe 6 if I use up vacation/sick days to stay home w/ my baby? Then go back to a 40+ hour work week job? No way! For the record, no woman is 'forced' (as mentioned) to go back to work. You go back if you want, you don't if you don't. Same rules apply - it's called free will. Best part? If I do go back to work, childcare is VERY good and very affordable AND my job is there. Yes, I say that's something you deserve in America too.

Facebook comment from Proud To Be Pinoy

on May 3, 2011 at 11:59 PM

Really, but why?

Nonmember comment from European Lady

on May 4, 2011 at 12:35 AM

You poor, poor,poor American women...You just do not know how much they abuse you!!! I am European and ended up here with an american husband. I am dreaming of going back to Europe one day!!!

on May 4, 2011 at 12:40 AM

But Chris, a woman of childbearing age would not be hired for some of the jobs I've done if the employer was obligated to let the position be vacated temporarily at the employee's whim for maternity leave. Most other countries have fewer women in key positions because of this. If that's not what you want to do in your life, fine, you don't have to either here or there. But some of us DO want that. And it's nice to be able to choose. There are lots of options open here - just because the government doesn't mandate them doesn't mean lots of women don't get good maternity benefits or the ability to take an extended leave. If it's important to a woman, she seeks a job that offers that - or structures her family's life so she can afford to be a SAHM.