UK ‘underperforms’ in list of top countries in the world to be a mum

There have been a number of reports and stories criticising shortcomings with hospital care in recent times, and a new study into the care of pregnant women and new mothers has highlighted this.

 

Save the Children’s 16^th annual State of the World’s Mothers report has found that women in the UK are more than twice as likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth as those in Poland, Austria or Belarus.

 

In the latest report, Britain just about made it into the list of the top 25 countries in the world to be a mother, coming in at number 24 in the report. The statistics found that women in the UK face a one-in-6,900 lifetime risk of maternal death.

 

Norway topped this year’s Mother’s Index, with Finland and Iceland taking the second and third spots respectively. Fourth place in the Index was taken by Denmark, with Sweden coming in at number five.

 

Commenting on the findings, Kathryn Bolles of Save the Children said: “The ranking shows that the UK is underperforming as one of the wealthiest countries in the world.”

 

“The real indicator that brought the UK down is the representation of women in politics and government, which we know is strongly linked to maternal wellbeing,” she added.