title: Autopsy study of pediatric deaths.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Childhood autopsies occurring during January 1997 to December 1999 were reviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of the total 1,445 deaths autopsied, 441 (30.5%) were of pediatric patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of these deaths, 70.3% occurred during neonatal period, 8.6% in infancy, and 21.1% in childhood. Birth asphyxia (57.7%) was the most frequent mode of death in the neonatal period. Infections (67.2%) predominantly accounted for infant and childhood mortality, those of respiratory tract (46.1%) being most frequent in infancy, early and mid childhood, and enteric fever in late childhood (33.3%). Discrepancy between ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnosis occurred in 29 cases (6.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autopsy is an important clinical tool providing useful information to the physician. Few published reports are available on pediatric autopsies. This study aims to help in a better understanding of causes of deaths in neonates, infants and children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, B.J. Medical College, Sassoon General Hospitals, Pune, India. shefdalal@hotmail.com
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Dalal
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Jadhav
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Deshmukh
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male