Obesity and smoking link to infant death, study shows

A study of babies who died during labour or within seven days of birth has found that 21% of the mothers were smokers and 42% were either overweight or obese, writes Sean McCarthaigh

Maternal smoking, obesity and timely booking to an ante-natal clinic or a midwife during pregnancy are all areas which could be improved, according to the first detailed study of the deaths of babies during labour.