According to data published by the Office for National Statistics, more babies are dying within a year of being born. Midwives, charities and health professionals have expressed concerns at the statistics of infant mortality in England and Wales.
In 2015, there were 2.6 neonatal deaths per 1,000 births, and increased to 2.7 for every 1,000 births in the following year. Poverty, smoking among mothers, maternal obesity and the shortage of midwives have been cited as possible reasons for this rise.
Deaths within the first year of a child being born also rose from 3.7 to 3.8 per 1,000 live births during the same period. This has been a cause of concern as neonatal deaths and infant mortality have both rise for the second year in a row after years of improvement.
Caroline Lee-Davey, chief executive of Bliss, which helps sick babies and their parents said, “It is deeply concerning to see a rise in infant mortality rates for the second year running. There are significant variations in mortality rates across the country, meaning there is much more to do to ensure that all health services are giving vulnerable babies the best chance of survival.”
Chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, Gill Walton stated, “Whilst we cannot make a direct connection between staffing levels, pressures on our maternity services and infant mortality, there is no doubt that overworked and under-resourced services cannot deliver the safest and highest-quality care.”
Regarding the rise in statistics, Labour's shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth said, “Swingeing cuts to public health and early years services have resulted in child poverty rising, differences in life expectancy widening for the first time since 2011 and more obese children in our schools than almost any high-income country.”
