Understanding inequalities in cause-specific infant mortality

Background

The key aim of this study is to understand the recent widening inequalities in infant mortality rates (death in the first year of life) by exploring cause-specific mortality by gestation and deprivation. UK Government targets have focused on health inequalities in overall infant mortality, however these overall rates may be masking underlying trends for different causes.

Aims

• To investigate health inequalities in cause-specific infant mortality in England and Wales over time and assess the impact of increasing incidence rates of preterm birth on inequalities in mortality
• To explore health inequalities in neonatal and perinatal mortality among very preterm births and identify whether service use varies with deprivation at a regional level
• To explore in detail risk factors for mortality in the neonatal and perinatal period at a local level
• To develop newly defined cause-specific mortality targets for PCTs accounting for variations in case-mix

Funding

"Understanding inequalities in cause-specific infant mortality" is funded as part of the NIHR programme grant "Towards reducing variations in infant mortality and morbidity: a population approach".

Personnel

This study is led by Lucy Smith.

Local research team

Elaine Boyle, Elizabeth Draper, Julie Faulkes, David Field, Samantha Johnson, Bradley Manktelow,  Lucy Smith