A good indicator of a country’s quality-of-life is the way it treats its most vulnerable members. Kids are a good measure of how well government policies percolate to the most sensitive and defenceless segment of society. A new report contains data on all countries with a population of more than ten million, noting that children are more vulnerable than adults to hazards of any form due to their size, physiology and behaviour. Children under age five breathe more air, drink more water and eat more food per unit of body weight than adults, so they experience a greater risk from pathogens and pollutants.