What is the news item mainly about? [originaltext] [21] In developing countr

[21] In developing countries, childbirth is often a life and death struggle for both mothers and children. The U.S. charity, Save the Children, says more than four million infants worldwide die in their first month of life each year, mostly due to infections. A third of the deaths occur in Southeast Asia. [22] South Asia has the highest rates of newborn deaths in the world, next to Africa. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, for example, up to six percent of infants die in their first month. Many women also do not survive complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Amy Weissman is a health expert for Save the Children in Vietnam. [23] She says the mothers most at risk are young, uneducated women who give birth at home, without the help of skilled professionals.