Scotland's Rich Babies Live Longer

SCOTLAND’S RICH BABIES LIVE LONGER


Oxford researchers studying the links between infant mortality and social class found that babies born in the poorest neighbourhoods of Scotland were more than twice as likely to die in their first year as those in the most affluent.

Smoking during pregnancy accounted for 38% of the differences in stillbirths and 31% of the differences in infant deaths.  Dr. Ron Gray, lead author of the study said additional considerations like overcrowding, family and child poverty and poor access to health and maternity care in the most deprived areas of Scotland played their part.  Also the most deprived mothers tended to be younger, giving birth to more preterm or low birth weight offspring.

Says Dr. Gray: 

'It’s really concerning that these inequalities still exist in British society.  The fact that the rates of death are as high as two and a half times the difference is really striking. …that’s one of the most striking health inequalities you can get’.