In 2024, the infant mortality rate has risen in at least eight EU countries, with France and Romania reporting rates above the EU average. Romania's rate jumped significantly from 2.1 to 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, while France's rate doubled from 2 to 4.1. Contributing factors include the increasing age of mothers and geographic inequality in maternal healthcare access. The year was also marked by health staff shortages and maternity hospital closures in several countries. Teljes cikk (Euronews.com)