Weekend-born babies slightly more likely to die in their first week

Study estimates there would be 770 fewer newborn deaths if NHS performance was consistent across week

Babies born in English NHS hospitals at the weekend have a slightly higher risk of dying within their first seven days compared with those born during the week, a study has found.

Researchers from Imperial College London’s department of primary care and public health examined 1.3 million births between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2012 and found the perinatal mortality rate was 7.3 per 1,000 babies at weekends, 0.9 per 1,000 higher than for weekdays.