Released on: 14 October 2021
In response to the MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance for Births in 2019 Report published today, Sarah McMullen, Director of Impact and Engagement, NCT, said:
‘This report demonstrates the deeply concerning impact of poverty on families, with babies born to women living in the most deprived areas of the UK twice as likely to be stillborn and at higher risk of neonatal death compared to those born in more affluent areas.
‘Alarmingly, this poverty gap is widening: while there has been a welcome reduction rate of 22% in stillbirths in the least deprived areas, it has fallen by only 8% in the most deprived areas.
‘It is also completely unacceptable that, regardless of socio-economic status, rates of stillbirths and neonatal deaths remain higher for babies born to Black, Black British, Asian and British Asian mothers than for White babies. We have welcomed the current confidential enquiry into deaths of Black and Black British babies and repeat our call for an urgent review of the losses to Asian and British Asian families too.
‘Time and time again, reports demonstrate the persistent and shocking inequality in outcomes for women and babies. It is vital that focused initiatives are developed to reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths for families at greatest risk.’
