Inquiry started into town's high infant death rate

An investigation is under way into why Rugby has recorded a significantly higher infant mortality rate than the national average in recent years.

These statistics measure infant mortality as the number of children who die before their first birthday for every 1,000 live births.

In 2024, Rugby recorded an infant mortality rate of 9.3 per 1,000 live births, compared with 3.9 nationally, 7.3 across the West Midlands and 3.8 across Warwickshire.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 11 infant deaths among 1,180 live births in the borough last year, accounting for half of the 22 infant deaths recorded across Warwickshire's five districts.

Data from the past five years has consistently shown Rugby as an outlier compared with the rest of the county.

Crishni Waring, chair of the Integrated Care Board covering Warwickshire, said the reasons were likely to be complex and involve a range of factors.

Speaking at a meeting of Warwickshire's Health and Wellbeing Board, she said: "There will be a number of things driving that which would go beyond maternity services in terms of health, and involve partners."

She said work was under way to better understand the figures, although identifying the specific causes had proved challenging.

"At the moment the data makes it hard to get underneath Rugby specifically, but that is one of the things we are working on," she said.

Waring said the work would include collaboration with hospitals, smoking cessation programmes and specialist midwifery support for some women and families.

Maggie O'Rourke, Rugby Borough Council's portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, welcomed the focus on the issue.

"It is something we will be looking at very closely," she said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.