Infant and perinatal mortality 2008: Health areas, England and Wales

This week data has been released by the Office for National Statistics on infant and perinatal mortality showing a decrease in stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates. There were 3,369 infant deaths (deaths under 1 year) registered in England and Wales in 2008, giving an infant mortality rate of 4.8 per thousand live births.

In 2008, there were 3,617 stillbirths and 1,763 deaths at ages under seven days registered in England and Wales giving a total of 5,380 perinatal deaths.

The neonatal mortality rate (deaths under 28 days) decreased to 3.2 per thousand live births in 2008, from 3.3 in 2007. The postneonatal mortality rate (deaths between 28 days and one year) remained at 1.5 per thousand live births.

The data presented here include statistics on infant deaths registered in 2008, and live births and stillbirths occurring in 2008, in England and Wales, for residents of each Government Office Region (GOR) and Strategic Health Authority (SHA) in England and Local Health Board (LHB) in Wales.

The stillbirth rate decreased from 5.2 per thousand live births and stillbirths in 2007 to 5.1 per thousand live births and stillbirths in 2008. The perinatal mortality rate also decreased from 7.7 per thousand live births and stillbirths in 2007 to 7.6 per thousand live births and stillbirths in 2008 (Table 1).

To view the full statistical release can be found here- Infant and perinatal mortality 2008: health areas, England and Wales