Bliss calls for action as study finds black and Asian babies have high mortality

ASIAN and black babies are more likely to die before they reach their first birthday, when compared to white babies, a study has found, prompting calls by a leading charity to ensure all infants should have the best chance of survival.

Figures released on Wednesday (26) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the period 2007 to 2019, show that black babies have the highest rate of stillbirths, followed by Asian babies. There were  7.1 stillbirths per 1,000 live births among black babies born in 2019, while among Asian babies, there were 5.1 stillbirths per 1,000 live births.

Among white babies, there were three stillbirths per 1,000 live births in 2019.

Data from the ONS showed that infant mortality rates are particularly high in the northwest of England and the West Midlands, where there is a substantial BAME population, with social deprivation identified as a key factor.

CEO of Bliss, the UK’s leading charity for babies born premature and sick, Caroline Lee-Davey, said, “It is deeply concerning that the infant mortality rates in Asian and black communities are significantly higher than the national average.

“This variation points to ongoing health inequalities which must be addressed as a matter of urgency to ensure every baby born in the UK has the best chance of survival.

These statistics highlight that, on top of Asian and black communities having been disproportionally affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, babies from these communities have faced a disproportionate risk of mortality for long before the start of the pandemic – and this is a situation that cannot continue.”

Bliss said it will launch a project to improve support for south Asian families accessing neonatal care.

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment on the matter.