Babies in poverty are twice as likely to die

Photo Gido (Creative Commons) (Click to enlarge)

Laurel Fogarty, new mum

Poor children in the UK are more than twice as likely to die while babies compared to their richer counterparts, particularly in their first month of life.

The growing gap between rich and poor is severely affecting the health of young children. This is especially severe for the one in five kids living below the poverty line, according to a new report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Many of the causes of these infant deaths are preventable. Greed at the top of society, and the political will that supports it, are causing unnecessary deaths.

As Tory cuts continue to attack the most vulnerable, the most deprived children get sicker, suffering from asthma, diabetes, and mental health problems most severely.

An economic system that puts super-wealth above child health, that willingly allows babies to die of preventable illness, and looks the other way as children suffer from swingeing, politically motivated cuts, cannot be allowed to continue.

We must fight to end the Tory and Blairite austerity that directly increases child deaths. Jeremy Corbyn must call on councils to refuse to pass on these lethal cuts, and stop retreating in the face of Blairite opposition.

But as long as the super-rich 1% remain in power, they will continue to put their wealth above our children's lives.

We need a Ł10 an hour minimum wage and the reversal of all cuts and sell-offs. Take the wealth off the 1% to achieve it.

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