More babies dying within a year of birth in Shropshire

Across England, both rates worsened for the third year in a row, after decades of improvement, which baby charity Bliss said was “deeply concerning”.

In Shropshire, 18 infants died within a year of being born in 2017, compared with nine the year previously, according to the latest Office for National Statistics figures.

This means the infant mortality rate, a key indicator of early years care, increased from 3.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2016 to 6.4 in 2017.

The ONS figures revealed that in Telford and Wrekin, eight infants died within a year of being born in 2017, compared with five in 2016.

The infant mortality rate rose from 2.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2016 to 3.8 in 2017.

The neonatal mortality rate, measuring babies dying within a month of being born, also increased.

In the rest of Shropshire, in 2017, there were 3.9 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to two in 2016.

The figure increased to 2.9 deaths per 1,000 live births last year in Telford and Wrekin from 1.9 in 2016.

The ONS says the infant and neonatal mortality rates can fluctuate between years in local authorities due to the small number of deaths.

Caroline Lee-Davey, chief executive of the premature and sick baby charity Bliss, said the national figures were “deeply concerning”, especially after the Government’s commitment to halve the rate of neonatal deaths by 2025.

“Bliss’s own research has shown repeatedly that there are insufficient nursing and medical staff to meet standards of safety and quality across neonatal services, with a clear link in particular between one-to-one nursing care for the smallest and sickest babies and neonatal survival,” she said.

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“It is time for the Government to ensure neonatal units have the funding and resources they need in order to give every baby in the country the best chance of survival and quality of life.”

Across the West Midlands, 380 babies died within 12 months of being born last year, of those 281 died within a month.

Ms Lee-Davey explained that “babies born into poorer families have a much higher mortality risk”.

“A number of factors can contribute to this higher risk of baby loss.

“The most important things for any expectant mother to do are to take care of her health while she is pregnant, to attend all her hospital appointments, and seek advice from health care professionals when needed.

“However, we know that this can be more challenging for those living in the most disadvantaged communities.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said it was committed to halving rates of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and brain injuries after birth by 2025.

Government officials said the NHS had made good progress to bring down infant mortality rates over the last decade.