Mortality of full-term infants during the first month of life in a tertiary care hospital.
OBJECTIVE
The neonatal mortality rate is disproportionately influenced by preterm infants and does not reflect the rate in full-term infants. Our objectives were to estimate the full-term neonatal mortality rate and to identify causes of death in full-term infants during the first month of life.


METHODS
A retrospective study of full-term infant deaths during a 6-year period from 2000 to 2005, in a tertiary medical center.


RESULTS
During the study period there were 44,703 full-term births and 31 deaths, representing a mortality rate of 0.69 per 1,000 live births. The main cause of death was congenital anomalies (64.5%), specifically cardiac anomalies. Other causes were chromosomal anomalies or syndromes (12.9%), labor complications (12.9%), infections (3.2%), congenital diseases (3.2%) and metabolic disorders (3.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
The mortality rate of full-term infants may be lower than previous estimates. Efforts aimed at decreasing mortality among full-term infants should focus on prenatal diagnosis.
Amir
A
A
Department of Neonatal Intensive Care, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
Merlob
P
P
Linder
N
N
Sirota
L
L
Klinger
G
G
D002423:Cause of Death; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies