In order to survey "early" neonatal mortality in nursery room, the author studied the records of 140 early neonatal deaths among 5,851 live born infants delivered at Seoul National University Hospital from January 1968 to December 1972. The results obtained are as follows:
1) There were more deaths in male babies than female every year. The average sex ratio of male to female was 1.4 : 1.
2) `Early´ neonatal mortalities per 1, 000 live births were 21.8 in 1968, 24.3 in 1969, 24.4 in. 1970, 26.8 in 1971, and 21.9 in 1972, and average figure was 23.9.
3) There were decreasing tendency in proportion of spontaneous delivery and increasing tendency in proportions of vaccum extracted delivery and Ceasarean section.
4) The mortality rate of infants group of spontaneous delivery was greater than infants groups: of vaccum extracted delivery and forcep delivery. The infants group of breech delivery showed´ the highest mortality rate.
5) The mortality rate was inversely correlated with birth weight, but increased in babies over 3, 500gm.
6) The mortality rate of fullterm neonates (>37 weeks) was 0.7%, whereas the mortality rate
Of premature neonates (<37 weeks) was 21. 5% which was 30 times higher than fullterm neonates.
7) There was 4.7% of mortality rate in twin births whose birth weights were below 2,00C gm
8) The mortality decreased by half successively each day after birth. The ratio of the neonates
who died before 1 day of age and who died after 1 day was 55 : 45.
9) The causes of deaths in order of frequency were: ① undetermined prematurity, ② abnormal pulmonary ventilation, ③ infections, ④ congenital anomalies, ⑤ birth injuries and ⑥ unknown etiology.
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