Bradford & District | Archive | 2005 | April | 07
From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Thursday 7th Apr 2005.
More babies die in deprived areas of inner-city Bradford than the rest of the district, an inquiry into baby deaths heard.
The first public meeting of the Bradford District Infant Mortality Commission yesterday heard there are significant differences in infant mortality rates between the most disadvantaged and the least disadvantaged areas of the district - with the inequality gap widening.
Assistant Head of Bradford Health Informatics Service Helen Brown told the inquiry: "There are clear differences between the most and least deprived areas.
"Over an 11-year time period, living in a more deprived area you would be 4.8 times more likely to have an infant death than in the less deprived areas."
The Keighley Central, Bradford Moor, Toller, Manningham and City wards had the highest infant mortality rates with Craven, Ilkley, Wharfedale, Baildon, Bingley and the Worth Valley having the lowest.
Bradford City Primary Care Trust, which covers about 150,000 people in inner-city Bradford, had the highest rate of infant deaths from 1993 to 2003.
The year-long inquiry was set up by Bradford Vision to examine how the number of baby deaths in the district might be cut after it emerged the figure was almost double the national average.
In 2003, 68 of the 7,500 babies born within the district died soon after birth or before their first birthday. But the commission was also told that deprivation does not necessarily account for Bradford's high number of baby deaths.
Consultant neo-natalologist Dr Sam Oddie, of Bradford Royal Infirmary, said: "There is an assumption that deprivation causes mortality.
"We must not be guilty of making that assumption."
He said doing something about deprivation would not necessarily cut infant death rates.
The commission heard evidence to show that infants living in poor economic circumstances were more likely to die in their first year than those born to mums in more affluent areas. It also heard that Bradford babies who died in their first year were more likely to have fathers in manual occupations than in other occupational groups.
The commission brings together bereaved parents and experts to probe why Bradford has the second highest mortality rate among under-ones in the country after Birming-ham. Its findings will be reported back to Bradford Vision which will then ensure recommendations are implemented by health and education organisations, social services and community groups.
Director of Public Health at Bradford North Primary Care Trust Dr Liz Kernohan said: "When dealing with deprivation and disadvantage, virtually every disease that causes ill health would show a similar gradient we have with infant mortality.
"It's not the case that if we sort out deprivation we will end infant mortality."
The commission is being chaired by lawyer Julia O'Hara who said she is keen for members of the public who feel they can assist the investigation into the causes of infant deaths in the Bradford district to come forward and speak to the inquiry.
Gemma Young was invited to sit on the commission after she lost her baby daughter Paige-Marie to a metabolic disorder two years ago.
Mrs Young, 20, of Bingley, said: "It's good to be able to do something when you know what it's like to lose a baby.
"The best point of the first meeting was that although the statistics show more deprived areas have a higher death rate, it's important to look beneath that and look at other aspects that cause it."
© Newsquest Media Group 2008