In India, children who are born into poor homes are seven times more likely to die than those born into rich households.

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In response, Professor Richard Dawkins, a high profile atheist, was asked to broadcast an alternative Thought for the Day , but his thought - that "we have been born and we are going to die, but before we die we have time to understand why we were born" - was broadcast in a different slot on the programme.

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Each year, worldwide, nearly 1 million babies die on the day they are born, according to a new report from Save the Children.

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Babies born to working-class mothers were twice as likely to die before their first birthday as those with middle-class parents.

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What Dr Nichols has failed to take into account, according to Dr Nettle, is that languages die out, as well as being born.

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Estimates vary, but nearly half-million people are born per day, approximately 150 per minute, of which 50 to 65% will die before reaching their reproductive years.

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