Multivariate analysis of infant death in England and Wales in 2005–06, with focus on socio-economic status and deprivation

Abstract

Current health inequality targets include the goal of reducing the differential in infant mortality between social groups. This article reports on a multivariate analysis of risk factors for infant mortality, with specific focus on deprivation and socio-economic status. Data on all singleton live births in England and Wales in 2005-06 were used and deprivation quintile (Carstairs index) was assigned to each birth using postcode at birth registration. Deprivation had a strong independent effect on infant mortality, risk of death tending to increase with increasing levels of deprivation. The strength of this relationship depended, however, on whether the babies were low birthweight, preterm or small-for-gestational-age. Trends of increasing mortality risk with increasing deprivation were strongest in the postneonatal period. Uniquely, this article reports the number and proportion of all infant deaths which would potentially be avoided if all levels of deprivation were reduced to that of the least deprived group. It estimates that one quarter of all infant deaths would potentially be avoided if deprivation levels were reduced in this way.

UK child survival in a European context: recommendations for a national Countdown Collaboration

“…Approximately a quarter of all infant deaths in England and Wales would potentially be prevented if all babies were born in circumstances as favourable as the least deprived families 51. Supportive family policy can help protect children from the damaging effects of poverty and inequality.…”

Infant deaths from congenital anomalies: novel use of Child Death Overview Panel data

“…Difficulties in describing and recording infant ethnicity have been recognised as ethnicity is a self-defined concept, which makes its use in infants and other populations unable to self-report problematic. Previous studies have used infant ethnicity,16 maternal ethnicity,17 maternal country of birth17 and composite variables,16 combining infant and maternal descriptors to try and overcome the limitation of the non-availability of self-report in this population.…”

Towards reducing variations in infant mortality and morbidity: a population-based approach

“…20,30,41,42 Research had shown an increasing risk of non-chromosomal anomalies with increasing deprivation, in contrast to a decreasing risk of chromosomal anomalies. 43 This last finding was predominantly a result of the increased risk of chromosomal anomalies with increasing maternal age.…”