Surge in babies dying before their first birthday, study finds – especially in deprived areas

More babies are dying before their first birthday, with those in deprived areas, the north of England and Black and Asian ethnic groups worst affected, according to new research.

Analysis of national statistics by Health Equity North suggests that “cuts to local government, a struggling NHS, and increasing numbers of families living in poverty” is leading to a rise in infant mortality.

A total of 2,240 infants died before their first birthday in 2022 in England, a rise from 2,209 in 2021.

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Professor David Taylor-Robinson, academic co-director at Health Equity North, said: “An increase in infant mortality rates is uncommon in affluent nations. As a sensitive measure of how we are doing as a society, rising infant mortality serves as an early indicator of policy going in the wrong direction.

“For many years infant mortality was declining thanks to policies that set out to address health inequalities in the early 2000s. However, that success has slowed in recent years with rates beginning to rise again, particularly in more deprived communities.”

The increase has been linked to risk factors such as prematurity, congenital anomalies, low birthweight, ethnicity, maternal age, deprivation, poverty and inequality.

It means the infant mortality rate is 3.9 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births. However, in the north of England, it is now 4.6 per 1,000 births.

The mortality rate was highest for babies from Black ethnic groups at 6.8 per 1,000 births. It is 5.7 per 1,000 births for those of an Asian background.

“This is against a backdrop of cuts to local government, a struggling NHS, and increasing numbers of families living in poverty,” Taylor-Robinson added.

“Without coherent action to address socioeconomic inequalities in health, we are unlikely to see improvements in the years ahead. We need to see rapid action from the new government to address the worrying increase in infant mortality in areas of deprivation, the North of England and in Black and Asian ethnic groups.”

Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said: “The data released today is a heartbreaking indictment of inequality in the UK. Sadly, it does not come as a surprise.

“Research we published with the End Child Poverty coalition last year showed widespread inequality in the levels of child poverty across the UK, with areas like the north of England and the West Midlands experiencing the highest levels.”

Perry welcomed the government’s recent announcement of a child poverty taskforce but urged further steps to reduce child poverty, including through “ending the unfair two-child limit as soon as possible to help give every child the best start in life”.

Curbing child poverty by ending the two-child benefit cap would save lives and avoid thousands of admissions to hospital a year, according to recent research from the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Child health experts are also calling for better support during pregnancy, more resources for maternity care and action to alleviate poverty.

Professor Kate Pickett, academic co-director at Health Equity North, said: “It is shocking that a country such as the UK continues to lag so far behind similar high income countries when comes to infant mortality rates. Our research highlights an alarming inequality gap that needs serious investigation into the underlying drivers of higher infant mortality rate.

“All babies deserve to have same life chances regardless of where they are born or their ethnicity. Yet, these figures show that isn’t the case and that more needs to be done urgently. I urge the new government to prioritise reducing health inequalities with specific targets to address infant mortality.”

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