Mortality Target Monitoring (Infant Mortality, Inequalities) - Update To Include Data For 2007, UK

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 04 Dec 2008 - 6:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The following National Statistics were released today by the Department of Health:

Mortality Target Monitoring (Infant mortality, inequalities) - Update to include data for 2007

The main points 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 (R&M) 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 (R&M) 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 R&M 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.

More detail can be found in the bulletin available here.

The PSA target is:

To reduce health inequalities by 10% by 2010 as measured by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth.

The detailed objective for the infant mortality component is:

Starting with children under one year, by 2010 to reduce by at least 10% the gap in mortality between the routine and manual group and the population as a whole.

The measure used to assess progress is the relative gap between the infant mortality rate in the Routine and Manual socio-economic group and the rate for the population as a whole, compared with the baseline gap for 1997-99.

This target was set in the Department of Health Public Service Agreement (PSA) published as part of the Government Spending Review 2004.

Definitions

Infant Mortality Rate

The number of deaths to infants aged under one year in a given time period, divided by the number of live births in that time period, multiplied by 1,000. [Note that data on infant mortality by NS-SEC are based on a 10% sample of all infant deaths].

National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC) The National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC) was introduced in 2001 to replace the Registrar General's Social Classification (RGSC), the previous official classification of socio-economic group. Both the NS-SEC and RGSC are based on occupation and employment status (and for some occupations, number of employees in the workplace), but the NS-SEC was developed to reflect more accurately the socio-economic structure of 21st century societies and the major shift in the UK economy from manufacturing to service industries.

To take account of this change in classification, the formulation of the target was changed from "manual" social class to "routine and manual" groups. Figures for 2001 were published in February 2003 for the first time using the new NS-SEC, and a time series back to 1994 was constructed to be on an equivalent basis.

Routine and Manual socio-economic group The Routine and Manual group is composed of "Lower supervisory and technical occupations", "Semi-routine" and "Routine" occupations - see list below for examples of occupations covered by these groups. The infant mortality rate among these groups is currently higher than the national average - the target is to reduce this gap.

Department of Health, UK