PERINATAL MORTALITY - CHICAGO LYING-IN HOSPITAL, 1931-1966

Perinatal mortality for 110,316 fetuses and infants weighing over 400 grams born at the Chicago Lying-in Hospital between May 31, 1931, and July 1, 1966, fell from 42 per 1,000 births in 1931-1941 to 29 per 1,000 births in 1961-1966. Mortality for live-born infants weighing over 1,000 grams decreased from 17.2 per 1,000 births to 8.6 per 1,000 births at the same time. The greatest reduction took place in the first half of this period with little change occurring since then. The decrease was due especially to a reduction in intracranial hemorrhage and intrauterine anoxia and its sequelae. In 1961-1966 the most common cause of perinatal mortality for fetuses and infants over 400 grams was intrauterine anoxia (6.1 per 1,000 births); for live-born infants over 2,500 grams the most common cause of death was malformations (1.0 per 1,000 births). © 1969.