Department of Health & Social Care
Best start in life in the
This page presents information about trends in indicators related to best start in life.
Table of contents
Children achieving a good level of development at age 2
Persons, 2-2.5 years
| Time period | West Midlands Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit | England Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 74.8 | 74.2 | 75.4 | 83.3 |
| 2018/19 | 80.6 | 80.2 | 81.0 | 84.1 |
| 2019/20 | 80.8 | 80.4 | 81.2 | 83.3 |
| 2020/21 | 81.6 | 81.2 | 82.0 | 82.9 |
| 2021/22 | 79.0 | 78.6 | 79.4 | 81.1 |
| 2022/23 | 76.3 | 75.9 | 76.7 | 79.2 |
| 2023/24 | 76.5 | 76.1 | 76.8 | 80.4 |
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Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities using interim reporting of health visiting metrics
The line chart shows the percentage of children who were at least at the expected level in all Ages and Stages Questionnaire domains at 2 to 2½ years. The proportion in the West Midlands increased from 74.8% in the financial year ending 2018 to 76.5% in the financial year ending 2024.
Teenage pregnancy
Female, <18 years
| Time period | West Midlands Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit | England Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 51.7 | 50.2 | 53.1 | 46.6 |
| 1999 | 49.3 | 47.9 | 50.7 | 44.8 |
| 2000 | 49.0 | 47.6 | 50.4 | 43.6 |
| 2001 | 47.2 | 45.8 | 48.5 | 42.5 |
| 2002 | 47.0 | 45.7 | 48.4 | 42.8 |
| 2003 | 47.4 | 46.1 | 48.7 | 42.1 |
| 2004 | 45.2 | 44.0 | 46.5 | 41.6 |
| 2005 | 45.7 | 44.4 | 47.0 | 41.4 |
| 2006 | 46.3 | 45.0 | 47.6 | 40.6 |
| 2007 | 46.6 | 45.3 | 47.9 | 41.4 |
| 2008 | 43.2 | 42.0 | 44.5 | 39.7 |
| 2009 | 42.1 | 40.9 | 43.4 | 37.1 |
| 2010 | 38.5 | 37.3 | 39.7 | 34.2 |
| 2011 | 34.9 | 33.8 | 36.1 | 30.7 |
| 2012 | 32.0 | 31.0 | 33.1 | 27.8 |
| 2013 | 28.9 | 27.9 | 30.0 | 24.4 |
| 2014 | 26.6 | 25.6 | 27.6 | 22.9 |
| 2015 | 23.7 | 22.8 | 24.7 | 20.9 |
| 2016 | 21.4 | 20.5 | 22.4 | 19.0 |
| 2017 | 19.8 | 18.9 | 20.7 | 17.8 |
| 2018 | 18.9 | 18.0 | 19.7 | 16.6 |
| 2019 | 17.9 | 17.0 | 18.7 | 15.5 |
| 2020 | 14.8 | 14.1 | 15.6 | 12.8 |
| 2021 | 15.2 | 14.4 | 16.0 | 13.1 |
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Source: OHID, based on Office for National Statistics data
The line chart shows the rate of conceptions in females aged under 18. The crude rate in the West Midlands decreased from 51.7 per 1,000 in 1998 to 15.2 per 1,000 in 2021.
Low birth weight of term babies
Persons, >=37 weeks gestational age at birth
| Time period | West Midlands Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit | England Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.0 |
| 2007 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 2.9 |
| 2008 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 |
| 2009 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.9 |
| 2010 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.9 |
| 2011 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.8 |
| 2012 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.8 |
| 2013 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.8 |
| 2014 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 2.9 |
| 2015 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.8 |
| 2016 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.8 |
| 2017 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
| 2018 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.9 |
| 2019 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.9 |
| 2020 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 2.9 |
| 2021 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.8 |
| 2022 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.9 |
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Source: Office for National Statistics
The line chart shows the percentage of full term babies who had a birth weight under 2500 grams. The proportion in the West Midlands changed from 3.3% in 2006 to 3.0% in 2022.
Babies whose first feed is breastmilk
Persons, newborn
| Time period | West Midlands Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit | England Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 68.3 | 67.9 | 68.7 | 71.7 |
| 2021/22 | 68.7 | 68.3 | 69.1 | 72.2 |
| 2022/23 | 69.9 | 69.6 | 70.3 | 71.8 |
| 2023/24 | 69.7 | 69.3 | 70.1 | 71.9 |
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Source: Maternity Services Dataset (MSDS v2.0)
The line chart shows the percentage of babies whose first feed is breastmilk. The proportion in the West Midlands increased from 68.3% in the financial year ending 2021 to 69.7% in the financial year ending 2024.
Infant mortality
Persons, <1 yr
| Time period | West Midlands Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit | England Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 - 03 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 5.4 |
| 2002 - 04 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 7.2 | 5.2 |
| 2003 - 05 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 7.2 | 5.1 |
| 2004 - 06 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 5.0 |
| 2005 - 07 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 6.6 | 4.9 |
| 2006 - 08 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 6.6 | 4.8 |
| 2007 - 09 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 4.7 |
| 2008 - 10 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 6.4 | 4.6 |
| 2009 - 11 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 4.4 |
| 2010 - 12 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 4.3 |
| 2011 - 13 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 4.1 |
| 2012 - 14 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 4.0 |
| 2013 - 15 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 3.9 |
| 2014 - 16 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 3.9 |
| 2015 - 17 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 3.9 |
| 2016 - 18 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 3.9 |
| 2017 - 19 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 3.9 |
| 2018 - 20 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 3.9 |
| 2019 - 21 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 3.9 |
| 2020 - 22 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 3.9 |
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View infant mortality data.
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Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (based on Office for National Statistics source data)
The line chart shows the rate of infant deaths aged under 1 year per 1,000 live births. The crude rate in the West Midlands decreased from 6.7 per 1,000 in 2001 to 2003 to 5.6 per 1,000 in 2020 to 2022.
Dental decay at age 5
Persons, 5 years
| Time period | West Midlands Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit | England Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007/08 | 28.9 | 28.5 | 29.4 | 30.9 |
| 2008/09 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2009/10 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2010/11 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2011/12 | 26.0 | 25.4 | 26.6 | 27.9 |
| 2012/13 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2013/14 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2014/15 | 23.4 | 22.7 | 24.1 | 24.7 |
| 2015/16 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2016/17 | 25.7 | 25.0 | 26.4 | 23.3 |
| 2017/18 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2018/19 | 22.7 | 22.1 | 23.3 | 23.4 |
| 2019/20 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2020/21 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2021/22 | 23.8 | 22.8 | 24.8 | 23.7 |
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Source: Dental Public Health Epidemiology Programme for England: oral health survey of five year old children (Biennial publication - latest report 2022) (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/oral-health#surveys-and-intelligence:-children)
The line chart shows the percentage of 5 year olds with observed dental decay extending to the dentine layer. The proportion in the West Midlands decreased from 28.9% in the financial year ending 2008 to 23.8% in the financial year ending 2022.
Emergency hospital admissions for injuries in children, ages under 15
Persons, <15 years
| Time period | West Midlands Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit | England Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010/11 | 117.1 | 115.0 | 119.2 | 115.2 |
| 2011/12 | 120.5 | 118.4 | 122.7 | 118.3 |
| 2012/13 | 106.3 | 104.3 | 108.3 | 104.0 |
| 2013/14 | 116.3 | 114.3 | 118.4 | 112.5 |
| 2014/15 | 112.2 | 110.2 | 114.3 | 110.1 |
| 2015/16 | 110.3 | 108.3 | 112.3 | 104.9 |
| 2016/17 | 106.6 | 104.6 | 108.5 | 102.4 |
| 2017/18 | 103.7 | 101.8 | 105.6 | 97.8 |
| 2018/19 | 109.7 | 107.7 | 111.7 | 98.1 |
| 2019/20 | 98.2 | 96.3 | 100.0 | 93.6 |
| 2020/21 | 78.4 | 76.7 | 80.1 | 78.2 |
| 2021/22 | 83.7 | 81.9 | 85.4 | 84.3 |
| 2022/23 | 75.7 | 74.1 | 77.3 | 75.3 |
You can find more information about this indicator and related data on our Fingertips website. Fingertips is a data platform that contains a large range of indicators organised into topics, such as tobacco, mental health, and mortality.
View emergency hospital admissions for injuries in children, ages under 15 data.
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Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities using NHS England Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid year population estimates
The line chart shows the rate of emergency hospital admissions for injuries in children aged under 15 years. The crude rate in the West Midlands decreased from 117.1 per 10,000 in the financial year ending 2011 to 75.7 per 10,000 in the financial year ending 2023.