Lifestyle blamed for baby deaths

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Baby deaths in parts of the Kirklees area are more than double the national average because of poor lifestyle, a report has concluded.

The study in Dewsbury found 34% of mothers smoke right up to giving birth; 39% are obese or overweight and 46% of child-bearing age women binge-drink.

Marriage between first-cousins is another factor, the inquiry found.

Dr Judith Hooper, Kirklees Public Health Director, who headed the study, said she was shocked by its findings.

She said: "These factors - along with much of the information gathered - point heavily towards malnutrition in the mothers before, during and after giving birth."

She said a new case of rickets - directly related to a mother's lack of vitamin D - was diagnosed in the area every week.

"In addition, the average number of rotten teeth in five-year-olds in Dewsbury and Batley is consistently at least double the national average.

"This points to a poor diet for the whole family and possibly for future children."

'Congenital abnormalities'

Dr Hooper said there was a higher risk of inherited abnormalities in babies if blood relatives married and there were already abnormalities in the family.

Couples must be encouraged to take advantage of support and screening, she said.

"It's a myth that if you marry your first-cousin you will automatically have a child with congenital abnormalities but the risk does rise from one in 50 to one in 25.

"But if you have already had a child with such abnormalities then that risk rises to one in four, so people do need to be clear about these risks."

An action plan has been formulated to address the issues raised by the study with colleagues from Kirklees Primary Care Trust, the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Kirklees Council.

Sheila Dilkes, Director of Patient Care for Kirklees NHS Trust, said: "Tackling this is going to be one of our main areas of work over the coming years."