Northern Ireland
Infant deaths
Key points
- There is a marked difference in the rate of infant mortality, the rate in the most deprived fifth of areas (7 per 1,000 live births) being one third higher than the rate elsewhere (5 per 1,000).
- The rate of infant deaths in Larne and Moyle is much higher than elsewhere (9 deaths per 1,000 live births compared to 7 or less elsewhere).
- The rate of infant deaths in Northern Ireland is somewhat higher than the average in Great Britain.
Graph 1: By deprivation
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Graph 2: By LA
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Graph 3: Compared to GB
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Definitions and data sources
The first graph compares infant mortality rates in deprived wards with rates in non-deprived wards. Infant deaths are deaths which occur at ages under one year., with the rates expressed as a proportion of total live births. Deprived wards are those in the bottom fifth of all wards according to ward-level 2005 Multiple Deprivation Measure (MDM).
The data source for the first graph is the General Register Office for Northern Ireland, with the data obtained via the 2004 publication Equality and inequalities in health and social care in Northern Ireland published by DHSSPS.
The second graph shows how the number of infant deaths per thousand live births varies by local authority.
The third graph shows how the number of infant deaths per thousand live births in Northern Ireland compares with the regions of Great Britain.
The data source for second and third graphs and map is the ONS publication Key population and vital statistics. To improve its statistical reliability, the data in the second graph is the average for the nine years to 2006 and the data in the third graph is the average for the three years to 2006.
External links
See the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety's site on health inequalities.