Sweden is one of the ten countries with the lowest infant mortality rate in the world. According to the Statistics Institute in Stockholm, about two out of 1,000 newborns die each year before their first birthday, half of them before their first week. The infant mortality rate varies from year to year: it was 2.4 per thousand in 2020. It fell to 1.8 per thousand in 2021. But the trend is clear: in ten years, mortality infant care has fallen by 20% in Sweden, compared to 10% at European level.
Among the explanations, observers highlight the importance of pregnancy monitoring and support for young parents. Expectant mothers see a midwife between six and ten times before giving birth. The consultations are free and generally take place in a health center near the mother’s home. Appointments are scheduled at regular intervals.
As in most European countries, the average age of women at the birth of their first child has increased over the past twenty years. In 2020, primiparae were on average almost 30 years old. Considered a risk factor, late pregnancies are also more frequent. “On the other hand, compared to a country like the United Kingdom, we see few teenage pregnancies”, notes pediatrician Hugo Lagercrantz. In 2021, only 454 babies were born to mothers under 19. This is a decrease of more than 60% compared to 2000. Mr. Lagercrantz explains it by the generalized use of contraception. For young girls, all you have to do is make an appointment at a health centre. They can do it alone from the age of 13, thanks to an application on their mobile phone. Since 2017, contraception is free for those under 21. Abortions among the youngest (15-19 years old) continue to decline and less than 10 teenagers per 1,000 had recourse to it in 2020.
“Huge social control”
Regarding the health of mothers, Swedish women are not immune to obesity, which is on the rise. About 16% of pregnant women have it. On the other hand, they smoke little – only 6.1% of women aged 16 to 84 in 2021, according to the public health agency. And if so many of them use daily snus (snuff), only 4% of pregnant women continue to use tobacco during their pregnancy, compared to 17.8% in France, according to 2015 figures. “It’s a bit like corporal punishment on children: in Sweden there is enormous social control when it comes to smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy,” observes Mr. Lagercrantz.
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