Infant mortality in some of England’s most disadvantaged areas fell by 16% from April 2025 to March 2026 compared with the previous year, according to the latest national data published by the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) at the University of Bristol.

The findings are published in the NCMD’s annual Child Death Review Data Release for the year ending 31 March 2026. The NCMD collects and analyses information from Child Death Overview Panels on all child deaths under the age of 18 in England to identify where action could prevent future deaths.

In the 12 months to 31 March 2026, 3,223 children aged 0–17 died in England, equivalent to an estimated rate of 27.0 deaths per 100,000 children. The total number of child deaths fell by 8% compared with the previous year, reaching its lowest level since 2020–21.

Neonatal deaths (babies under 28 days of age) accounted for 44% of all child deaths, while deaths of infants (babies under 1 year of age) accounted for 61% of all child deaths. For children aged between 1 and 17 years, the highest death rate continued to be for children aged between 15-17 years (17.1 per 100,000), followed by 1-4-year-olds (14.0 per 100,000).

Deaths among infants under one year of age fell by 7%, while deaths among children aged 1–17 fell by 8%. The infant mortality rate decreased from 3.8 to 3.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the rate for children aged 1–17 fell from 11.7 to 10.9 deaths per 100,000 children in that age group. Infant mortality rates varied across England, ranging from 2.4 to 4.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.

All regions except London and the North East saw decreases in infant mortality rates in comparison to the previous year. The largest reductions were seen in the South West, where rates fell by 23%, followed by the West Midlands (18%) and East Midlands (16%).

These improvements coincided with the implementation of the PERIPrem (Perinatal Excellence to Reduce Injury in Premature Birth) perinatal care bundle, designed to improve outcomes for babies born prematurely.

Karen Luyt, Programme Director for the National Child Mortality Database, Professor of Neonatal Medicine at the University of Bristol and Healthier Childhoods lead at NIHR ARC South West, said: “Prematurity remains a leading contributor to deaths in the first year of life. The NCMD thematic report on Newborn Health recommended the universal implementation of the PERIPrem care bundle in areas of England with high infant mortality.

“In January 2025, the East Midlands and West Midlands Health Innovation Networks funded the rollout of PERIPrem across all perinatal units serving their respective populations. This built on the work in the South West, where PERIPrem was co-produced and first implemented in 2020. The substantial reduction in infant mortality in West and East Midlands highlights the utility of investment in universal support of every maternity and neonatal unit to accelerate implementation of effective interventions to optimise outcomes after preterm birth.”

Despite improvements, significant ethnic inequalities in child mortality remain. Children from Black (58.8 per 100,000) and Asian (50.3 per 100,000) ethnic backgrounds continued to have death rates more than double those who were from a white British (22.3 per 100,000) ethnic background.

Within these ethnicity groupings, over a seven-year period, the child death rate was highest for children of Asian Pakistani ethnicity (58.9 per 100,000), followed by Black African (56.7 per 100,000), any other Asian background (52.6 per 100,000) or Black Caribbean (49.8 per 100,000). The child death rate was lowest for those of Chinese ethnicity (16.5 per 100,000).

Professor Luyt added: “Every child’s death is a profound loss. While our latest data show signs of improvement, every preventable death reminds us why this research matters. The reductions seen across some regions are encouraging and highlight the importance of translating evidence into action. By learning from every child’s death, we can identify where services and systems need to change, improve care for vulnerable babies and children, and help prevent future tragedies.”

Professor Simon Kenny, National Clinical Director for Children and Young People at NHS England, said: “It is hugely encouraging to see infant mortality falling, thanks in part to initiatives such as PERIPrem, which helps give premature babies the best start through vital care before and after birth – from steroids to support lung development through to helping mums breastfeed.”