euronews.com
Infant Mortality Rate Rises in Multiple EU Countries
The infant mortality rate increased in at least eight EU countries in 2024, with Romania and France showing significant rises, exceeding the EU average; contributing factors include staff shortages, maternity ward closures, increasing maternal age, and geographic inequalities in healthcare access.
- What factors beyond healthcare system capacity may contribute to the rise in infant mortality rates?
- This increase correlates with reported health system challenges, including staff shortages and maternity ward closures in several EU nations. Factors like increasing maternal age and multiple pregnancies may also contribute, highlighting geographic disparities in maternal healthcare access.
- What is the immediate impact of the increased infant mortality rate in multiple EU countries in 2024?
- In 2024, the infant mortality rate in the EU rose in at least eight countries, exceeding the 2023 average of 3.3 deaths per 1,000 live births. Romania saw a dramatic increase from 2.1 to 6.4, while France doubled its rate to 4.1. This resulted in one in 250 children in France dying before age one.
- What long-term strategies should the EU adopt to address the underlying causes and prevent further increases in infant mortality rates?
- The rising infant mortality rate reflects broader systemic issues within EU healthcare systems. Continued monitoring and addressing staff shortages, coupled with improved access to quality maternal care, particularly in regions with high rates, are crucial to reversing this trend. Further research into specific contributing factors in each nation is necessary.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article frames the increase in infant mortality rates in a concerning light by leading with the rise in several countries and emphasizing the significant jumps in Romania and France. While the information is accurate, this framing could create an impression of a widespread crisis across the EU, potentially downplaying the relatively stable or even decreasing rates in other member states. The inclusion of data on the lowest rates in Latvia and Sweden attempts to balance this but doesn't fully counteract the initially negative framing.
Language Bias
The language used is largely neutral and factual, relying on statistics and quotes from official sources. Terms like "significant rise" and "doubled" could be considered slightly loaded, but they are used to describe factual changes and could be replaced with more neutral phrasing like "substantial increase" and "increased twofold", respectively. Overall, the tone is objective, although the framing (as mentioned above) could influence reader perception.
Bias by Omission
The article mentions health staff shortages and hospital closures as potential contributing factors to the rise in infant mortality rates in some EU countries. However, it omits discussion of other potential contributing factors such as socioeconomic disparities, access to prenatal care, environmental factors, and specific causes of infant death. The article also doesn't explore the reasons behind the contrasting low rates in Latvia and Sweden. While acknowledging limitations in space, a deeper investigation into these factors would provide a more comprehensive picture.
False Dichotomy
The article presents a somewhat false dichotomy by highlighting the increase in infant mortality rates in several countries while contrasting this with the low rates in Latvia and Sweden, without fully exploring the nuances and complexities of the situation across all EU countries. The presentation suggests a simple high vs low dichotomy, ignoring the varied situations and contributing factors within each country.
Sustainable Development Goals
The increase in infant mortality rates in several EU countries indicates a setback in achieving SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The article highlights a rise in infant mortality in France and Romania, exceeding the EU average, and notes contributing factors such as increasing maternal age, multiple pregnancies, and unequal access to maternal healthcare. The closure of maternity wards in Portugal and France further exacerbates the issue, hindering access to essential healthcare services for mothers and newborns.