HC Deb 29 July 1988 vol 138 cc777-8W
Mr. Frank Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on infant mortality following the publication of the report by the working party established by the chief medical officer into the increase in infant mortality in 1986.

Mrs. Currie

Provisional figures for 1987 show a rate of infant mortality (the death rate for babies under 1 year) for England of 9.1 per thousand live births, which is the lowest ever recorded.

The figure for 1986, at 9.5 per thousand live births showed a slight increase compared to the previous year. Ministers asked the chief medical officer and the OPCS to inquire further with the assistance of expert advisers.

The studies so far show that the increase in infant mortality occurred in the post-neonatal period (ie between 28 days and 1 year of age). It occurred across all social classes, ages, parity of mother and legitimacy. The increase was predominantly among male infants, with some bias towards children of parents in social class 1. It was probably associated with the unusually severe cold snap which occurred in February 1986.

As regards cause of death, most of the increase was attributed to sudden infant death syndrome. An accompanying fall in the number of deaths ascribed to diseases of the respiratory system probably reflects a continued trend to report more of such deaths as sudden infant death syndrome. The detailed analysis of the 1986 figures is continuing. Other research work into the nature of sudden infant death syndrome is under way in universities and by voluntary organisations.

Mr. Fearn

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing infant mortality by sex broken down into the months of the year for the latest year available.

Mrs. Currie

The information is shown in the table.

Infant mortality (deaths under one year of age) by month of occurrence, England and Wales 19861
Month Sex Number of deaths
January male 352
female 260
February male 374
female 237
March male 336
female 264
April male 278
female 204
May male 311
female 224
June male 264
female 190
July male 261
female 199
August male 291
female 178
September male 281
female 192
October male 294
female 205
November male 322
female 197
December male 338
female 234

Note:

These will include deaths occurring in 1986 but registered up to the end of March 1987.

1 Provisional.