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Mortality target monitoring (infant mortality, inequalities): update to include data for 2007

The latest annual update on infant mortality rates, with data updated to 2005-07, which are used to monitor progress against the Department of Health infant mortality inequality PSA target for the gap in infant mortality between the Routine and Manual socio-economic group and the population as a whole, for England and Wales, was released on 4 December 2008 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

The key points from the latest release are:

• In 2005-07  there were 9,846 infant deaths overall in England and Wales, giving an overall rate of 4.9 deaths per 1,000 live births. This was a decrease on 5.0 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2004-06.
• Of those with a valid socio-economic group (8,709), the rate was 4.7 deaths per 1,000.  Out of the 8,709 deaths in this category, 43% of these deaths (3,749) were in the Routine and Manual group, giving a rate of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in this group.
• The infant mortality rate among the Routine and Manual group was 16% higher than in the total population in 2005-07; this compares with 13% higher in the baseline period of 1997-99, so the gap had widened since the baseline.  However, the gap has narrowed in recent years – the rate among the Routine and Manual group was 19% higher than in the total population in 2002-04, 18% higher in 2003-05, 17% higher in 2004-06, and 16% higher in 2005-07.
• The target to narrow this gap by at least 10% by 2010 is still a challenging one, but if the gap continues to narrow at the rate observed since 2002-04, the Infant Mortality inequality target will be met.
• Three-year average infant mortality rates for the Routine and Manual group have fallen in each period since 1997-99.
• Although not part of the target, the rate for sole registrations, that is, births registered by the mother alone, is also monitored.  The rate in the most recent single year, 2007, remains at 6.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, the same as in 2006.

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