It almost beggars belief that in this day and age babies in Bradford are dying for reasons put down to the level of poverty in the city.

The results of the Bradford District Infant Mortality Commission's two-year investigation into baby death rates in the district read more like a study carried out in the 19th century, not the 21st.

The state of housing, education and employment are all being pointed to as contributing to the high numbers of children dying before they reach even their first birthday.

It is a sobering and upsetting statistic that up to 70 children are dying in infancy every year in the district, much higher than the national average.

But while the report does paint a bleak picture, it must be used to galvanise those who are responsible for public health and - most importantly - the communities and individuals who live in the district into action.

While some of the factors are obviously going to be out of the control of individuals, there is much that can be achieved with the support and co-operation of those wishing to start a family or who have new babies, working with and helping the health professionals.

Coupled with the Born in Bradford initiative, which aims to pinpoint even further the reasons for childhood illness and death in the area, this report needs to signal a sea change in this horrific state of affairs and set us on the road to making the situation much, much better.