A number of factors suggest that the UK is not providing optimal conditions for children to survive and thrive.

Understanding why some children in the UK may have a greater chance of dying than their richer peers, or those in some other countries, is challenging. It requires going beyond the direct cause of death to examine the events leading to death and also the underlying factors that may have contributed to making death more likely. Pre-term birth is an example of where this can be complex.

Outlining actions that could be taken to prevent childhood deaths in the future is the aim of this report. We look at the causes of death and some of the underlying determinants such as poverty and social inequalities.

This report highlights the most recent (at time of publication) available data on deaths, focusing specifically on areas where we could make a difference through what we do in policy and practice.