Aspects of neonatal intensive care

Abstract

One of the most impressive advances of modern medicine in recent years has been the dramatic reduction in perinatal mortality due, at least in part, to the introduction of neonatal intensive care. Although social factors may have contributed, the incidence of prematurity, which is the single most important cause of preventable perinatal mortality, has not changed significantly whereas mortality of preterm infants has fallen greatly. In England and Wales perinatal mortality (number of still births and deaths in first 7 days/ 1,000 total births) fell from 25 to 9.8 between 1965 and 1985, and the mortality of infants with birth weight 501-1500 grms fell from about 70% to about 30% Recent evidence suggests that there has been further increased chances of survival for the smallest infants (birth weight 501-1000 grms) without an increase in adverse outcome and the perinatal mortality rate for England and Wales fell further to 8.1 in 1990.