How an Idea was Spun.

News reports around Mother’s Day 2006 on Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers report highlighted the fact that many of the 2 million babies who die each year in the first 24 hours of life in developing countries could be saved by simple, cost-effective measures, like placing a knit or crocheted cap on a baby’s head for warmth.

Knitters and crocheters e-mailed and called Save the Children, asking what they could do to help newborns in need. As a result of their enthusiasm, Save the Children partnered with the Warm Up America! Foundation in July 2006 to launch Knitters and Crocheters for Newborns: Caps to the Capital.

These babies need more than caps, though. They need voices, too. The U.S. can lead the way in saving young lives by increasing funding for critical health measures such as antibiotics to fight infections, training for skilled birth attendants and immunizations against tetanus, for mothers and children in developing countries.

So, knitters and crocheters across the United States were asked to take three simple steps by January 2, 2007 to let America’s leaders know they care about saving newborn lives around the world: make a cap; write the President and unite for newborns.

Letters and caps have poured in to the Save the Children’s headquarters in Connecticut from people age 5 to 99 in all 50 states – bus drivers to doctors, corporation chiefs to leaders of faith-based institutions, girl scouts to college service groups.

The caps and notes are still being counted. Save the Children will take caps and notes to Washington, DC later this month to demonstrate that Americans want our leaders to do more to prevent these needless deaths. Then, the caps will be taken overseas to Bangladesh and Malawi, and delivered to mothers and babies who need them.

Watch the Kangaroo Mother Care Video Clip (5MB)

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