Babies more to poor mothers are more than twice as likely to die before turning one, official data revealed today.
Still births are also much more common to women doing 'routine and manual' jobs compared to those in 'higher managerial, administrative and professional' work.
The figures from the Office for National Statistics showed a continuing downward trend in overall infant deaths but the continued gap between poorer and wealthier households provoked concern.
Tory MP Will Quince said it was crucial to make clear the link between bad diet and smoking in pregnancy to the chance of a new baby facing problems.
The new data from the Office for National Statistics revealed stark differences in the infant mortality rate between different socio-economic groups
The Colchester MP made a heartbreaking speech to Parliament last year revealing the still birth of his baby son.
He told MailOnline: 'Generally, the data shows the figures are getting better - which is what we hoped.
'What is already being done is the right thing but we just need to step it up.
'Maternal health does have a massive impact on these things - we know for example mums who smoke during pregnancy or who have poor diets have a likelihood of a low birth weight.
'Babies with a low birth weight are more likely to have problems.'
Mr Quince said continuing efforts to encourage breast feeding were also crucial to helping protect babies in their first year.
In its data release today, the ONS said: 'Variations in infant and perinatal mortality by socio-economic classification may be the result of the link between increasing levels of deprivation and poorer maternal health, which can ultimately affect infant mortality.
'Studies have also shown that infant mortality rates are comparatively higher for low income families.
'Mothers from routine and manual occupation are more likely to smoke before or during pregnancy and are less likely to breastfeed which can result in poorer immunity and poorer digestive health for the baby.'
The data revealed immaturity-related conditions, for example, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, were the most common cause of infant deaths in 2014. Some 41 per cent of deaths were due to these causes.
Immaturity-related conditions accounted for 19 per cent of all post-neonatal deaths and 51% of all neonatal deaths.
It said smoking during pregnancy meant on average babies were 200g lighter and added that in 2014, very low birth weight babies were many times more likely to die.
After revealing his family's earlier trauma, Mr Quince in February announced he had personally delivered his youngest child with the aid of paramedics on the phone.
Mr Quince has set up an all-party parliamentary group to campaign towards halving the number of stillbirths in the UK.
In his speech last year, he told MPs how in October 2014 their son, Robert, was stillborn after being diagnosed with Edwards’ syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which almost always leads to babies being miscarried, stillborn or surviving only briefly beyond birth.
Overall infant, neonatal and postnatal mortality has steadily fallen in the last 30 years, today's data from the Office for National Statistics showed
Culled from Mail Online
