News > Babies born to Black mothers and those from deprived areas face significantly poorer neonatal survival rates

The distressing findings are based on analysis of data on more than 700,000 babies admitted to neonatal units in England and Wales between 2012 and 2022.   

The study found that some of these inequalities were explained by pre-existing risk factors present at the time of admission to neonatal care – including gestational age at birth and sex of the baby. This was the case for just over half of the babies born to mothers facing socioeconomic inequalities and for 75% of the babies born to Black mothers.  

Despite this, there are still inequalities which exist in the rates of babies who die in neonatal units which cannot be explained. 

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Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the study is the first to examine both socio-economic and ethnic inequalities in mortality among babies cared for on neonatal units.  

 As not all of the inequalities can be explained, it suggests that in-unit factors, such as care practices, might contribute to the persistent inequalities. While this study did not look at in-unit care, Bliss’ own work with Black, South Asian and young parents has shown how families have different experiences of neonatal care depending on their race and ethnicity, or social background.    

Bliss Chief Executive, Caroline Lee-Davey said: 

“Behind every statistic in this sobering new research is a family whose lives have been changed forever. In 21st century Britain, it is simply unacceptable that babies are dying in greater numbers because of the colour of their skin or their background.   

“While there is more to do to understand why these inequalities exist, it is significant that this research suggests that care practices may underpin some of the unexplained inequality.  This chimes with our own work at Bliss; that sadly Black and Asian parents and those living in economically deprived areas report differences in the support they receive on the neonatal unit compared to White families. For example, some parents report a lack of trust in healthcare services and challenging communications with staff which can lead to deep feelings of isolation.  

“It is vital that more work is now done to further our understanding of how care practices may differ on the neonatal unit and how differences in parental experience may contribute to this variation in outcomes, as we know that premature and sick babies do best when their parents are supported to be partners in their care. This report must be a wake-up call to decision-makers that change is needed, and we call on the Government to ensure these findings form part of its ongoing review into maternity and neonatal services in England, and that engagement with families as part of this review includes a specific focus on health inequalities in neonatal care.  

“At Bliss we remain focused on delivering our vision that every baby born premature or sick has the best chance of survival and quality of life, and we continue to strive for equity for all neonatal babies and their families across all areas of our work”. 

Read more: Babies born to black mothers 81% more likely to die in neonatal care, NHS study shows | Race | The Guardian

Full journal article: Inequalities in neonatal unit mortality in England and Wales between 2012 and 2022: a retrospective cohort study - The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health

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