Baby death numbers in Ireland are already very low
Myth: Baby death numbers in Ireland are already very low
While the number of baby deaths (perinatal mortality rate) in Ireland has been relatively static in recent years, the most recent data shows a fall in rates from 5.3/1,000 births in 2022 to 4.3/1000 births in 2023 (72). Reasons for this are as yet unclear and we do not know if this decrease will be sustained.
A review of trends in stillbirth rates from 2010 to 2021 placed Ireland 20th out of 24 countries in Europe (73).
Internationally in high income countries, stillbirth rates range from 1/1,000 to 10/1,000 (29,73).
Other countries (e.g. Australia, the UK) have been able to reduce their numbers of baby deaths, through dedicated investment in prevention strategies (74,75).
Ireland’s perinatal mortality rates still have room for improvement, and targeted investment could reduce the number of baby deaths.
References
(29) ten Hoope-Bender P, Stenberg K, Sweeny K. Reductions in stillbirths—more than a triple return on investment. The Lancet. 2016 Feb 6;387(10018):e14–6.
(72) National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre. University College Cork. 2025. Perinatal Mortality National Clinical Audit in Ireland - Annual Report 2023. Available from: https://www.ucc.ie/en/npec/clinical-audits/perinatalmortalitynationalclinicalaudit/annualreport2023/.
(73) Kniffka MS, Schöley J, Lee S, Bertens LCM, Been JV, Gunnarsdóttir J; Euro-Peristat Network. Stillbirth rate trends across 25 European countries between 2010 and 2021: the contribution of maternal age and multiplicity. European Joural of Public Health. 2025;35(2):319-327.
(74) MBRRACE-UK. MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance | UK perinatal deaths of babies born in 2023: State of the nation report. Version 2. 2025. Available from: https://timms.le.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk-perinatal-mortality/surveillance/.
(75) NHS England. Saving Babies’ Lives Version Three: A care bundle for reducing perinatal mortality. Version 3.2. 2025. Available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/saving-babies-lives-version-three/.