ANALYSIS OF FETAL AND NEONATAL DEATHS IN 4117 CONSECUTIVE BIRTHS

[摘要] An analysis of the significant causes of death in 4117 consecutive births was made; there were 66 fetal deaths and 85 neonatal deaths. A significant cause of death was determined in 51 fetuses and 56 live-born infants.Eighty-five per cent of the live-born infants who weighed over 1000 gm. at birth and had postmortem examinations had causes of death which were considered to be significant. Almost half of the live-born premature infants with birth weights between 1000 and 2500 gm. were considered to have had more than one significant cause of death.The so-called significant causes of death among live-born infants differed from those determined for fetuses dying before birth. Among the former, pathologic conditions in the infants were determined four times more frequently than in those dying before birth and, in the latter, maternal complications of pregnancy and labor were diagnosed as significant causes of death five times more frequently than in infants dying in the neonatal period.Hyaline-like material in the lung was considered to be the most frequent significant cause of death in live-born premature infants; congenital malformation and anoxia resulting from complications of labor were the most frequently determined significant causes of death in live-born full term infants. No differences were found in the significant causes of death in premature and full term fetuses. Anoxia resulting from accidental and unexpected interruption of the blood flow in the placenta and umbilical cord and from dystocia was the most frequently determined significant cause of death in both groups.A plea has been made for the adoption by obstetricians, pathologists and pediatricians of a formal uniform plan of classifying the causes of fetal and neonatal death which would divest current efforts to determine the cause of death of as much vague terminology and arbitrary opinion as possible.

[学科分类] 儿科学