Thirty-seven percent of under-five deaths occur in the neonatal period. Identifying and correcting factors that contribute to neonatal and maternal care are of the utmost importance. Evaluation of severe acute maternal morbidity, also known as "near miss", is used to improve obstetric practice. Neonatal near miss in conjunction with neonatal mortality can be used in a similar fashion to identif...

BACKGROUND The placenta plays a crucial role during pregnancy for growth and development of the fetus. Less than optimal placental performance may result in morbidity or even mortality of both mother and fetus. Awareness among pediatricians, however, of the benefit of placental findings for neonatal care, is limited. OBJECTIVES To provide a systematic overview of the relation between placenta...

BACKGROUND Preterm birth rates have increased substantially in the recent years mostly due to obstetric intervention. We studied the effects of increasing iatrogenic preterm birth on temporal trends in perinatal mortality and serious neonatal morbidity in the United States. METHODS We used data on singleton and twin births in the United States, 1995-2005 (n = 36,399,333), to examine trends in...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether neonatal respiratory morbidity at term is associated with an increased risk of later asthma and whether this may explain previously described associations between caesarean delivery and asthma. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR) data of maternity (SMR02), neonatal (SMR11), and acute hospital (SMR01) discharges. SETTING Scot...

INTRODUCTION Pre-eclampsia, which is more prevalent in resource-limited settings, contributes significantly to maternal, fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. However, the factors associated with these adverse outcomes are poorly understood in low resource settings. In this paper we examine the risk factors for adverse neonatal outcomes among women with pre-eclampsia at Mulago Hospital in...

BACKGROUND Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is a life-threatening malformation in neonates, but it is amenable to complete repair. Prenatal detection, diagnosis, and early management may modify neonatal mortality and mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS Preoperative and postoperative morbidity and mortality were compared in 68 neonates with prenatal diagnosis and in 250 neonates with a pos...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the potential impact of gestational age (GA) estimation on the basis of the last menstrual period (LMP) in comparison with GA based on ultrasound examination on rates of survival and neonatal morbidity among extremely preterm infants. METHODS The Swedish national registry of infants born extremely preterm (Extremely Preterm Infants in Sweden...

BACKGROUND Few studies, and none in Canada, have examined the relation between maternal smoking, alcohol consumption and drug dependence during pregnancy and early neonatal morbidity. METHODS We analyzed records of singleton live births in Alberta, Canada. Markers of neonatal morbidity were Apgar scores (< 7 at 5 minutes postpartum) and resuscitation measures (2001-2005, N = 191,686), and neo...

INTRODUCTION This study was designed to estimate respiratory morbidity associated with elective cesarean section (ECS) and to determine the effect of antenatal oxytocin exposure on this morbidity. MATERIAL AND METHODS Nine hundred and sixty-five neonates ≥ 37 weeks' gestation delivered by cesarean section during 1 year were included in this retrospective study and classified into two groups a...

Syphilis in pregnancy can cause considerable fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. It is endemic in the developing world but it is now resurgent in the developed world. Maternal syphilis can result in fetal infection leading to fetal and neonatal harm. Mid-trimester miscarriages, stillbirths, low birth weight, prematurity, congenital syphilis and neonatal deaths are all the results of syp...