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The introduction of UK austerity policies has been associated with a striking increase in the number of babies in Scotland being born smaller or earlier than expected, data suggests.
Researchers believe cuts to social security benefits and services are key to understanding these trends, which have hit families living in the poorest neighbourhoods the hardest.
“Babies that are born premature and at low birth weight are themselves at considerably higher risk of a whole set of adverse outcomes in later childhood and adulthood, so the effects will be felt for years to come,” said Dr David Walsh, a senior lecturer in health inequalities at the University of Glasgow, who led the study.
“Austerity also hasn’t gone away, therefore the new UK Labour government needs to understand this evidence and try to protect the poorest populations, rather than putting them under more pressure,” he said.
The link between maternal stress and adverse birth outcomes is well established. For instance, various studies have identified an increase in prematurity and low birth weight babies after terror attacks, or due to stressful employment. High levels of cortisol, one of the stress hormones, can impair the function of the placenta and foetal growth, while stressed mothers may also consume more tobacco or alcohol, which are linked to restricted growth and prematurity.
Studies in several European countries, including Portugal and Greece, have also linked the introduction of austerity measures and household poverty to worsening birth outcomes. To investigate the impact of such policies in the UK, researchers at the University of Glasgow and Public Health Scotland analysed records for almost 2.3 million babies born in Scotland between 1981 and 2019.
The research, published in the European Journal of Public Health, found that the proportion of babies being born earlier and smaller than expected increased markedly within a few years of austerity policies being introduced in 2010.
“For those born in the 20% most-deprived areas, rates of premature birth increased by around 25% post-2012, having declined year on year from the early 2000s,” said Walsh.
Although the study focused on Scotland, Walsh added: “Given that post-austerity poverty rates are actually fairly considerably higher in England, the expectation is that we will have seen similar trends there.”
The increase was unlikely to be the result of smoking, which has fallen during the same period, Walsh said.
The study adds to mounting evidence of the longer-term impact of austerity on people’s health. Dr Jessica Allen, the deputy director of University College London’s Institute of Health Equity, which has calculated that more than 1 million people in England died prematurely in the decade after 2011, said: “The damaging health consequences of policies of austerity continue and include more deaths, worse health and widening inequalities, particularly in more deprived areas.
“It is hugely concerning to see higher rates of preterm births in Scotland as a result of austerity – we know that being born early has long-term impacts on health and that more deprived and many ethnic minority groups are most affected.”
Dr Jyotsna Vohra, the director of research, programmes and impact for Tommy’s, the pregnancy and baby charity, said: “Premature birth can have life-changing consequences, leaving children at higher risk of long-term complications, including learning disabilities, hearing problems and visual impairment. It is also the most common cause of death in children under five in the UK.
“We know that people living in areas of high deprivation, and those from some minoritised ethnic groups, are more likely to be affected by it. This contributes to a damaging cycle of health inequalities that we must break. We need strong commitment and action from the government to tackle this issue.”
Chris Birt, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation associate director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, said: “This is another grim reminder of the impact that poverty has on people’s health and how it is driven by government choices. Our latest report on poverty in Scotland showed how strengthening our social security system, which is crying out for reform and repair, must be part of the solution.
“As this report highlights, cutting social security has weakened our society and put children at risk.”
A government spokesperson said: “This research is further proof of the dire inheritance of this government and why we will not return to austerity. We want to raise the healthiest generation of children in our history and we will work across government to tackle inequalities in health, with a focus on prevention.
“Our new cross-government taskforce is developing an ambitious child poverty strategy to ensure every child has the best start in life and we are also focusing on early years, with initiatives like free breakfast clubs in all primary schools.”