Babies born to black mothers in England and Wales face a higher risk of death in NHS neonatal units, a new study shows.
Babies born to black mothers in the UK are more likely to die in neonatal care
The research, led by academics at the University of Liverpool and published in The Lancet Child Adolescent Health, examined data from more than 700,000 newborns admitted to neonatal care across England and Wales between 2012 and 2022.
Samira Saberian, a PhD student at the University of Liverpool and lead author of the study, told The Guardian: “Socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities independently shape survival in neonatal units, and maternal and birth factors explain only over half of the socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities. To reduce these inequalities, we need integrated approaches that strengthen clinical care while also tackling the wider conditions affecting families. By improving services and addressing the root drivers of inequality, we can give the most vulnerable babies a better chance of survival.”
The analysis revealed that babies born to mothers living in the most deprived areas also face elevated risks. Babies of Asian mothers had a 36% higher likelihood of death compared with white counterparts, even after adjusting for other factors.
Rachel Drain, quality and standards adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, said the findings were “deeply concerning” and called for “urgent, coordinated action to tackle the root causes of the disparities. Every baby deserves the same chance of survival regardless of their ethnicity, background or circumstances.”
Professor David Taylor-Robinson, from the University of Liverpool, added: “Our research highlights how existing biases and injustices in society are reflected in clinical settings, disproportionately affecting women and babies. These are inequalities we cannot afford to ignore.”
Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the study is the first to examine both ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in NHS neonatal care.
The findings arrive as a national investigation into maternity services in England, due to conclude later this year, is assessing racial disparities and other systemic challenges in maternal and neonatal care.
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