Measures taken to reduce the number of infant deaths and boost the health of babies across the district have been presented to Bradford Council's health improvement committee.

It follows a report published in December 2006 by an independent commission set up in Bradford to find out why more babies die in their first year of birth in the Bradford district than the average for England.

The Bradford Infant Mortality Commission found that poverty was the key reason why between 60 and 70 babies a year in the district were not reaching their first birthday.

Members of the health improvement committee considered a report by Dr Dee Kyle, chairman of the Infant Mortality Commission (IMC) Dissemination and Implementation Group, outlining measures taken since the publication of the commission's recommendations.

Some of the main actions being taken include making Bradford a baby friendly' district by achieving accreditation for welcoming breastfeeding mothers and babies, updating nutrition guidelines for mothers and babies, providing healthcare professionals with advice on different cultural diets, training between 40 and 50 midwives at Bradford Royal and Infirmary and Airedale General Hospital to provide greater support to pregnant women with stopping smoking, the launch a pilot project in Girlington to promote joint working between agencies which help families with housing needs, a two year project to audit infant death certificates and gain more information about the causes of death and providing the public with more information about infant health through a website.

Projects will also be set up looking at genetic risk in Bradford communities, based on national Department of Health research carried out by Dr Aamra Darr at the University of Bradford.

More volunteers will be trained to support new mothers in their own homes and a DVD will be produced in several languages to give key health messages highlighting the commission's work.

Dr Kyle, who is also public health consultant for Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust said: "Since the Infant Mortality Commission Report was launched, the findings have been discussed with several of the local strategic partnership groups including the Economic Partnership, the Housing Partnership and the Children and Young Peoples' Partnership. Local task groups have been set up for each of the recommendations made by the Commission, and the actions now being taken have been put forward by these groups.

"They have been funded from over £80,000 of resources from the strategic Health Improvement Partnership, Neighbourhood Renewal, and Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust."