Child ill health
Key points
- At 8%, the proportion of babies born underweight is the same in Inner and Outer London as the national average.
- Infant mortality rates are the same as the national average: five deaths per 1,000 live births.
- The Inner London rate of 11.7 pregnancies for every 1,000 girls aged between 13 and 15 is 50% higher than the national average of 7.7.
[The proportion of the child population with various health problems]
What does this table show?
Inner and Outer London have the same proportion of babies born underweight (8%) as the rest of the country. Low birth weight is a sign of deprivation for the mother and an indicator for the future health of the child.
Similarly, at five deaths per 1,000 live births infant mortality is the same as the national average. In general, the risk of infant death is higher among families from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
There is a small difference in the proportion of five-year-olds with poor dental health, children in Inner London having 1.8 missing, filled or decayed teeth, compared with 1.6 in Outer London and the national average of 1.5. Dental health reflects a child's diet and is related to other aspects of deprivation.
The one indicator where London really stands out is in the number of under-age pregnancies (girls conceiving before the age of 16). Underage pregnancy is included because early child-bearing poses physical and emotional risks for the young mother, as well as disrupting her education.
The Inner London rate of 11.7 pregnancies for every 1,000 girls aged between 13 and 15 is 50% higher than the national average of 7.7. The rate in Outer London is the same rate as the national average.
Data used
ONS (1997–2006) Key population and vital statistics; British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (2007)
BASCD Survey Report 2005/2006, BASCD
ONS and ISD Scotland; the data is averaged over the years 2003 to 2005
Indicator last updated: 12 May 2009
Other indicators in Children
- Child poverty
- Poverty in Inner and Outer London
- In-work poverty across England
- Children in households receiving out-of-work benefits
- Infant deaths by borough
- Attainment at age 11 by borough
- Free school meals and attainment at age 11
- Households in temporary accommodation
- Underage conception by borough
- Children in workless households over time
- Children in workless households by type
- Attainment at age 11 by region
- In-work poverty over time
View all indicators
Glossary
Infant mortality:
Death occurring before twelve months
Outer London:
Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Bromley, Bexley, Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, Waltham Forest
Inner London:
Camden, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Westminster