THE infant death rate in Scotland in the last quarter of 2024 was one of the highest since records began 10 years ago, according to new data.
However, the numbers involved are small in absolute terms. Figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) showed that 50 infants died before their first birthday between October 1 and December 31, 2024. This was up from an average for that quarter of 43.
NRS figures further showed that there were 16,052 deaths recorded in total between October 1 and December 31, 2024. The figure was 10% below the expected figure of 17,844.
Phillipa Haxton, head of vital events statistics at NRS, said: “The number of deaths was 10% lower than our expected number for this time of year.
“Across all broad age groups, deaths were below expected levels for the last quarter of 2024.
“However, the infant death rate was 4.4 deaths per 1000 live births. This is the joint second highest quarterly infant death rate since the time series began in 2014”
According to Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), three sharp increases in the number of deaths among post-neonatal children – those older than four weeks but less than one year old – were seen in recent years: in September 2021, March 2022 and April 2023.
The figures for 2024 were then delayed by HIS “to carry out additional work, which has impacted on the timeline”.
Haxton continued: “For all ages, female deaths were 829, or 9.3%, lower than the expected number in quarter four, and male deaths were 962, or 10.8% lower than expected.”
The provisional figures also show 11,412 births were registered in the fourth quarter last year, which was 4.9% lower than the previous fourth quarter average of 11,994.
In 2021 it was announced by the Scottish Government that the death of every child in Scotland is to be reviewed in an attempt to reduce avoidable deaths of young people.
