[Precocious neonatal mortality in premature newborns with low weight at birth and death]. / Mortalidad neonatal precoz en recien nacidos prematuros de bajo peso al nacer y de termino.

PIP: A retrospective study was conducted of all live births occurring in 1992 at a Dominican Institute of Social Security hospital in Santo Domingo to analyze the association between prematurity, low birth weight, and early neonatal mortality. Stillbirths, infants weighing less than 1000 g or born before 28 weeks of gestation, and those with lethal malformations were excluded. 5142 newborns met the inclusion criteria. 1701 deliveries (33%) were cesarean. 550 of the newborns (10.7%) were low birth weight, and 338 (6.6%) were premature. The early neonatal mortality rate was 17/1000. Low birth weight infants accounted for 66.2% of early neonatal mortality. 10.7% of low birth weight infants died within the first week of life, and their relative risk of early neonatal death was 16.42. 64% of all infants dying in their first week of life were also premature. The specific mortality rate for premature infants was 168.6/1000 live births. The relative risk was 25.32 for premature infants. Low birth weight infants born at term had an early neonatal mortality rate of 24.6/1000 live births, compared to 5.5/1000 for term births of adequate weight.^ieng