Beyond newborn survival: the world you are born into determines your risk of disability-free survival

Every year, 135 million newborns enter the world, each arriving naked and apparently equal. Yet, their chances of surviving and thriving vary dramatically depending on which world these babies are born into—ranging from high-income countries with universal neonatal intensive care to the world of home births without midwives, medical supplies, or health system support ( Figure 1 ). Figure 1 The four worlds into which 135 million newborns are born each year. Republished with permission from ref. 17 . PowerPoint slide Full size image