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Actions to reduce inequalities in infant mortality
Deaths caused by asphyxia in pregnancy and due to prematurity can be reduced by improvements in the quality of obstetric and neonatal care. However, these causes are less strongly associated with social deprivation and consequently tend to have little impact on the inequalities. Public health actions likely to have the greatest impact on reducing social inequalities in infant mortality include:
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Smoking cessation support for pregnant women and parents (increasing birth weight, and reducing SIDS and respiratory illness)
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Promoting breastfeeding (reducing infections, SIDS and atopic conditions in childhood)
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Education about childhood accidents and home safety equipment loan schemes
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Social and emotional support for parents (reducing adverse infant outcomes)
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Improvement in physical environment including housing, income support including greater awareness about benefits, education and employment (reducing adverse infant outcomes)
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Many of these interventions can necessarily be achieved only by collaborative action between various local agencies and targeting resources towards deprived communities.
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