National Paediatric Mortality Register Annual Report 2026 Improving Patient Care With National Clinical Audits

National Paediatric Mortality Register Annual Report 2026

This is the third report published from the National Paediatric Mortality Register (NPMR). The NPMR aims to collect, analyse and report on data relating to deaths among children and young people aged under 19 years in the Republic of Ireland. This report provides a comprehensive overview of mortality among children and young people in Ireland from 2019 to 2024.

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of child and young person mortality, identify emerging trends and risks, and support prevention, service planning and improvements in care. It also reinforces the need for timely, high-quality national mortality data. While Ireland has seen significant long-term improvements in child mortality, the report highlights areas requiring continued attention, including the recent increase in infant mortality and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and the continuing impact of trauma and suspected self-harm among adolescents. The report also outlines progress towards a universal electronic system for notifying child deaths, which is intended to support more timely national surveillance and earlier identification of emerging risks.

Download Full Report Summary Report Appendices

Key Findings

Between 2019 and 2024, a total of 1,811 deaths among children and young people aged 0–18 years were registered in Ireland. Of these, 1,096 were among infants under 1 year, 421 among children aged 1–14 years and 294 among young people aged 15–18 years. Infants accounted for the majority of deaths, while adolescents aged 15–18 years experienced the highest mortality burden beyond infancy. Infant mortality has increased since 2019, while sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has again become the leading cause of death among infants aged 29–364 days. Among adolescents aged 15–18 years, trauma remains the leading cause of death, with suspected self-harm accounting for almost half of trauma-related deaths.

Key Recommendations

Recommendation 1

Renew and strengthen national efforts on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention through enhanced public education and postnatal support to help mitigate the emerging trend of SIDS deaths.

It is recommended that a renewed focus be placed on SIDS prevention, with coordinated action across maternity, neonatal, primary care and community services. Standardised, evidenced-based safer sleep guidelines should be reinforced and consistently delivered to all caregivers by relevant healthcare professionals. Tailored and targeted communication strategies should be directed toward groups and communities where known SIDS risk factors are more prevalent, such as areas of deprivation and emergency accommodation (Gannon et al., 2026). Strengthening pre- and postnatal supports and reinforcing risk-reduction practices will be critical to mitigating the emerging upward trend in SIDS deaths.