France, once a leader in infant survival rates, now ranks 23rd out of 27 EU countries for infant mortality, according to a recent study by the National Institute of Demographic Studies (Ined).

In 2022, the infant mortality rate in France was 4.5 per 1,000 for boys and 3.7 per 1,000 for girls, significantly higher than the EU average of 3.5 and 3.0, respectively.

Neighboring countries like Sweden boast rates as low as 2.5 per 1,000. Experts attribute this stagnation to factors such as disparities in healthcare access, maternal health issues, and the quality of neonatal care.

Alarmingly, the first week of life accounts for most of these deaths.

While advancements in neonatal care have saved some premature babies, they often survive only briefly.

Calls for urgent government action include creating a birth registry to identify systemic gaps and improve public health policies.