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Childbirth: Death and Injuries

Answer

The below tables contain data for the four metrics requested from 2010 up until the most recent year available. The metrics relate to England only, except for maternal deaths which covers the United Kingdom. The metrics are used to monitor the Government’s National Maternity Safety Ambition which aims to halve rates of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries by 2025 from their 2010 baseline. The ambition also aims to reduce the pre-term birth rate from 8% to 6% by 2025.

The following table shows the number of stillbirths in England since 2010:

Year	Number	Rate per 1,000 total births
2010	3,506	5.1
2011	3,619	5.2
2012	3,357	4.8
2013	3,103	4.6
2014	3,047	4.6
2015	2,952	4.4
2016	2,895	4.3
2017	2,679	4.1
2018	2,520	4.0
2019	2,346	3.8
2020	2,231	3.8
2021	2,451	4.1
2022	2,276	3.9

Source: Office for National Statistics, Births in England and Wales

Note: The definition of stillbirth used is a baby born after 24 or more weeks completed gestation and which did not, at any time, breathe or show signs of life.

The following table shows the number of babies with a brain injury occurring during or soon after birth in England since 2010:

Year	Number	Rate per 1,000 live births
2010	2,594	4.3
2011	2,906	4.4
2012	2,950	4.2
2013	2,966	4.5
2014	3,097	4.7
2015	3,055	4.6
2016	3,074	4.6
2017	2,947	4.6
2018	2,872	4.6
2019	2,591	4.2

Source: Brain injury occurring during or soon after birth: annual incidence and rates of brain injuries to monitor progress against the national maternity ambition, 2018 and 2019 national data (Imperial College London).

Notes:

1. To account for incomplete Brain Injuries data in 2010 and 2011, brain injury numbers and rates for these two years were estimated.
2. Definition used: "Babies admitted to a neonatal unit in England, receiving at least one episode of care for a brain injury occurring during or soon after birth."

The following table shows the number of neonatal deaths in England since 2010:

Year	Number	Rate per 1,000 total births
2010	1,329	2.0
2011	1,344	2.0
2012	1,269	1.8
2013	1,154	1.7
2014	1,075	1.6
2015	1,078	1.6
2016	1,059	1.6
2017	1,030	1.6
2018	947	1.5
2019	844	1.4
2020	733	1.3
2021	812	1.4

Source: ‘All data related to Child and infant mortality in England and Wales: 2021’, Office for National Statistics.

Note: Definition used: “A neonatal death is the death of an infant under 28 days for babies born at a gestational age of 24 weeks or over.”

The following table shows the number of maternal deaths in England since 2009:

Years	Number	Rate per 100,000 maternities
2009-11	253	10.6
2010-12	243	10.1
2011-13	214	9
2012-14	200	8.5
2013-15	202	8.8
2014-16	225	9.8
2015-17	209	9.2
2016-18	217	9.7
2017-19	191	8.8
2018-20	229	10.9
2019-21	241	11.6

Source: “Lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2019-21”, MBRRACE-UK

Notes:

1. Definition used: “A maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.”
2. Due to the small number of maternal deaths, rates are published in three-year periods.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

202781

Session

2022-23

Subjects

Death Injuries Brain Childbirth

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk