British children at higher risk of early death than European counterparts

UK children are at a higher risk of premature death than their Western European counterparts, according to a report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). The growing gap between rich and poor and a lack of targeted public health policies to reduce child deaths are to blame, the report said. Every year, an estimated 2,000 additional children “averaging 5 a day” die in the UK compared to the best performing country, Sweden. Why Children Die, written by Dr Ingrid Wolfe and other leading child health experts, says that many child deaths could be prevented through a