MBRRACE-UK has published its Perinatal Mortality Surveillance Report for births in 2020. The report shows that the stillbirth rate in the UK has reduced by 21% over the period 2013 to 2020 to 3.33 per 1,000 total births. Over the same period the neonatal mortality rate has reduced by 17% to 1.53 per 1,000 births.
Despite these improvements, wide inequalities still persist, with those living in the most deprived areas, minority ethnic groups and twin pregnancies all experiencing higher rates of still birth.
The main findings from this surveillance report for the period 2016 to 2020 included:
- The lowest stillbirth rates were for babies of White ethnicity from the least deprived areas, at 2.78 per 1,000 total births.
- The highest stillbirth rates were for babies of Black African and Black Caribbean ethnicity from the most deprived areas, at around eight per 1,000 total births.
- The neonatal death rate for babies of White ethnicity from the least deprived areas was 1.26 per 1,000 total births.
- The highest neonatal death rates were for babies of Pakistani and Black African ethnicity from the most deprived areas, at over three per 1,000 live births.
- Compared with other ethnicities, babies of Black African, Black Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnicity are nearly twice as likely to be from deprived areas. They are much more affected by the higher rates of stillbirth and neonatal death associated with deprivation.
- There was a 19% increase in the twin stillbirth rate and a 16% increase in the twin neonatal death rate.
- Over the past five years the gap between singleton and twin death rates has become wider.
- Compared to singletons, the risk of stillbirth is over twice as high in twins and the risk of neonatal death is over three times higher.