Pakistani families are disproportionately affected by high infant mortality Birmingham council report has said. A new taskforce which is being set up to tackle high infant mortality rates shows infant mortality rates in the city are nearly twice the national average, with families from Pakistani backgrounds disproportionately affected. A report released by Birmingham Council’s Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee that was first reported by the Guardian shows the infant mortality rate in Birmingham is seven deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with 3.9 deaths in England as a whole. Death rates are highest in the areas of the city with the worst deprivation, a key longstanding issue for the city where 28.1% of children live in low-income families compared with 17% nationally.