Top Five New Year’s Resolutions for Newborns

Aminata Sangaré 18 and baby Maimouna Bagayogo 50 days old, in the Kangaroo Care center at the Gabrielle Traoré Hospital in Bamako, Mali, January 8, 2010. The baby girl was born five weeks premature and weighed 2.2 pounds. Photo credit: Joshua Roberts

The New Year is a time for resolutions. It’s a fresh start and a great opportunity to make positive changes in your life. But for some that can mean crash diets, punishing workouts and frenzied attempts at a life overhaul.

But here at Save the Children, the New Year is about newborns. In many communities around the world, children are not named until they survive the first month of life. Among all children, newborns have the highest risk of death. More than 40 percent of deaths in children under five occur in the first month of life. The good news is that newborn mortality rates declined over 15% last year. That kind of progress is achievable again this year with help from people like you.

That’s why many of us at Save the Children are dedicating our 2012 New Year’s Resolutions to helping newborn babies make it to 2013, and beyond. We’re hoping you will join us in this pledge.

Making a commitment can be easier if you do it for someone else, and if you replace a bad habit with a good one. Here are our editor’s top five picks for giving your New Year’s Resolutions a newborn makeover.

1. Eat Healthy Food.

   There are few things more hazardous to your New Year’s diet than the afternoon snack attack at the vending machine. Instead of using those coins to get candy, put them in a jar earmarked for a donation to our Newborn and Child Survival campaign. You’ll be surprised at how quickly it adds up! In no time, you’ll have raised the $100 it takes to provide equipment for a midwife to resuscitate newborns. Read More

2. Get Fit.

   In January, gyms are packed, but by Valentine’s Day they’re practically ghost towns. Keep your motivation up by training for run, walk or other sporting event to raise funds for newborn lives. It’s a lot easier to stay on the treadmill when you think of the little ones who are counting on you. Here’s a link to make it easy for your friends to sponsor you or join in the fun! Read More

3. Manage Stress.

   Psychologists know giving to others is good for you — they call it a “Helper’s High”. Did you know you can help Save the Children carry out our mission just by doing things you would do anyway? Just by searching on the web, shopping online or socializing with friends? Here are some suggestions for doing good while doing your favorite internet activities. Read More

4. Spend More Time with Family.

   Watching our fun video series — “Dirty Words” with your kids. They’ll learn some valuable lessons and you’ll all have a laugh. Read More

5. Volunteer to Help Others.

   One of the best ways you can volunteer to support the needs of millions of children is by advocating on their behalf before the most powerful institutions in the world. When you volunteer to be their voice, you help make it possible for children’s issues to be heard by world leaders. Read More

You’ll do better at keeping your resolution while doing good!