Starfish Food

Today, family planning saves lives. Apart from economic difficulties, a major reason to consider family planning is the health of the mother and her children. “Pregnancy is a gamble and giving birth is a life-and-death struggle,” says a West African proverb. Every year in the developing world, half a million women die during pregnancy or childbirth, a million children are left motherless, and an additional five million to seven million women become handicapped or crippled because of childbirth-related health impairments. Not all women in developing countries run the same risk. Nevertheless, millions of women, especially in poor societies, continue to give birth frequently.