Child deaths in England rising above pre-pandemic levels, study finds

There were 258 more child deaths in 2022-23 than expected from the pre-pandemic period. Photograph: James Jiao/Shutterstock

Child deaths in England have risen to new levels after a temporary fall during the Covid-19 pandemic, a study has found.

The study, published in the PLOS Medicine journal, shows children were less likely to die between April 2020 and March 2021, a period when lockdowns were in place, than at any time before or since. There were 377 fewer deaths than expected from the previous 12-month period.