Babies born outside marriage in England and Wales are much more likely to die before their first birthday than those born to married couples.
The infant death rate was 45% higher for babies born out of wedlock in 2000 than for those born within marriage, the Office for National Statistics said.
The figures showed that the average infant mortality rate for babies whose parents were married was 4.8 per 1,000 births, compared with a rate for babies of unwed parents of 6.6 deaths per 1,000 births.
The figure was 45% higher (8 deaths per 1,000) for babies born to parents who were not living together at the time of the birth, and 38% higher -- 7.6 deaths per 1,000 births -- for infants whose birth was registered by one parent.
Reuters London November 9, 2001
It would be exceedingly challenging to identify all the factors involved here. It does seem quite obvious that the general observation is quite profound, and it is highly supportive of only raising children within the context of a marriage.
Violating this standard seems to result in some serious consequences for the health of any children produced outside of this context.
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