Sudden and unexpected deaths in infancy and childhood (NCMD thematic report, 8 December 2022)

Summary

This report from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) covers the two-year period from 2019 to 2021, and is unique in two ways. It is the first national report to have investigated all unexpected deaths of infants and children—not just those that remained unexplained. It is also the first national review of the 'multi-agency investigation process' into unexpected deaths.

The report found that, of all infant and child deaths occurring between April 2019 and March 2021 in England, 30% occurred suddenly and unexpectedly, and of these 64% had no immediately apparent cause. Other key findings relating to sudden and unexpected infant deaths (under 1 year) include:

• 70% were aged between 28 and 364 days, and 57% were male
• Infant death rates were higher in urban areas and the most deprived neighbourhoods
• For sudden and unexpected infant deaths that occurred during 2020 and had been fully reviewed, 52% were classified as unexplained (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and 48% went on to be explained by other causes such as metabolic or cardiac conditions.