Decade-high infant mortality rate in Luton

It comes as the rate across England also hit its highest level since 2015, with a charity that supports families who have experienced baby loss warning "more babies are dying suddenly and unexpectedly in recent years".

New data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows there were 62 registered deaths of infants in their first year of life in the two years from 2021 to 2023 in Luton.

This accounts for an infant mortality rate of 6.2 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021-23 – an increase on 2011-13 when it was 5.1 per 1,000.

Across England, the infant mortality rate rose to 4.1 per 1,000 births, after remaining consistent at 3.9 since 2013-15.

Jenny Ward, chief executive of the Lullaby Trust, which works to eliminate infant mortality, called the new figures "worrying".

"Increasing deprivation in the UK has become a huge concern and priority for us, as families in deprivation are 23% more likely to experience infant deaths and often lack access to safer sleep spaces," she said.

"Every family should be given a safer start to life, but we need more help from the Government to reach every baby and every family."

The Trust said it has distributed over 250 'bedtime bundle' kits including bedding, a travel cot, safer sleep advice and a thermometer to families in crisis or temporary accommodation.

Separate figures released this week by the MBRRACE-UK programme, a collaboration by experts at the universities of Oxford and Leicester, show a growing gap between rates of neonatal death in the UK’s most and least deprived areas, and persistent disparities between groups from different ethnic backgrounds.

Robert Wilson, head of the Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit, said: "Three-quarters of deaths among children under one year old in the UK happen in the first 28 days after birth.

"Any drive to reverse this rise in infant mortality, and to reduce it further, should therefore focus on improving maternal and neonatal care.

"Babies who are born prematurely (before 37 weeks) are at higher risk of dying before they reach their first birthday. We need more research to uncover the causes of premature birth, find ways to prevent it and treat the health complications that can arise when a baby is born too soon."

Other OHID figures also show the changes in child mortality over the same period.

In Luton, 37 deaths of children between one and 17 years old were registered in 2021-23, giving a mortality rate of 21.9 per 100,000.

This increased from the 16.4 per 100,000 a decade earlier.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "It is unacceptable that infant mortality figures are rising, and these statistics lay bare the stark inequalities in outcomes for babies this Government has inherited.

"As part of our Plan for Change, we are committed to giving all children a healthy, happy start to life and delivering accessible, integrated maternity, baby, and family support services.

"We will train thousands more midwives to better support women throughout their pregnancy and beyond, and trusts failing on maternity care will be supported to make rapid improvements."

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article you can reach out to Sands online at https://www.sands.org.uk/. The Sands National Helpline is free to call from landlines and mobiles on 0808 164 3332. The team is available to speak to from 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday and 6pm to 9pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The helpline team can also be contacted at [email protected]