One year fading into the past gives us a new chance to reflect about the state of our world as seen from its newest inhabitants.
These images of new life brought into the world during 2012 present some interesting contrasts in the realities of daily life for children who by no fault or merit of their own are born into diverse families and economic strata around the world.
It is a mere accident of birth that separates a princess from a political refugee.
Here's some food for thought on the global distribution of wealth:
In 2012, the poorest 40 percent of global population accounts for just 5 percent of all income. On the top, the richest 20 percent accounts for 75 percent of all income.
The richest of the rich - the top 400 billionaires - have combined personal worth that exceeds the net worth of the poorest 2.5 billion people on the planet.
At the end of 2012 the world's population reached 7.0567 billion. UNICEF reports that 24,000 children die each day due to poverty. There are an estimated 2.2 billion children worldwide and an estimated one billion live in poverty.
"They die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death,” a UNICEF report states.
Almost half of the world- more than 3.5 billion people - has to survive with less than $2.50 per day. Eight out of ten people on Earth live on less than $10 a day.
Meanwhile, Americans spend $8 billion a year on cosmetics -- that's $2 billion more than what world hunger experts estimate would be needed to provide basic education for everyone in the world.
Around 27-28 percent of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or stunted. The two regions that account for the bulk of the deficit are South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.
If the world's seven richest men decided to do so - they could pool their combined wealth and wipe out poverty. Their combined wealth would be enough to provide for the basic needs - food, shelter, clean water and medical care -- for the bottom 25 percent poorest of the world's population.
Just take a moment to reflect on the irony of that as the new year begins.
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