title: Perinatal health.
abstract: The potential returns to society from an increased investment in perinatal health care delivery and research are considerable. The major areas meriting research are an understanding of congenital disorders, the mechanisms determining fetal growth, the prevention of or the amelioration of prepartum and perinatal asphyxia and the cot death syndrome. Research strategies relative to each of these areas are described. The postneonatal death rate in New Zealand is considerably higher than that in comparable societies, largely due to the high rate of cot death. The failure of health services to appropriately utilise previous research gains and to respond to previous recommendations relating to cot death are noted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Auckland School of Medicine.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gluckman
mesh_terms: D000013:Congenital Abnormalities; D005260:Female; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009520:New Zealand; D010500:Perinatology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012106:Research; D013398:Sudden Infant Death