Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

During 2002 the number of deaths of infants under one year was 305 compared with 331 in 2001. The infant death rate in 2002 was five per 1,000 live births. This was a decrease on the 2001 figure of 5.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. The Irish rate is higher than the current EU 15 average of 4.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births and the current EU 25 average of 4.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. Some 41% of infant deaths occurred on their first day.

The number of stillbirths occurring during 2002 was 364 compared with 358 in 2001. The stillbirth rate in 2002 was six per 1,000 births, a decrease on the 2001 figure of 6.1 stillbirths per 1,000 births.

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