Welcome to the World

How much is a child’s fate determined by the circumstances and location of its birth? Accepted wisdom has it that much of what happens within 24 hours of a child’s birth dictates that child’s chances of survival and likelihood of health and ability to thrive in the long-term. Welcome to the World documents births in Sierra Leone, Cambodia, and the United States, and attempts to test the hypothesis by comparing rates of maternal mortality, communicable disease, women’s freedom to control their own reproductive choices, and the availability of healthcare in each instance.