The obstetrician's responsibility in infant mortality.

Although infant mortality has been remarkably reduced, stillbirth and neonatal death rates have been improved very little. Efforts at lowering the fetal death rate must be directed to those conditions affecting the fetus during labor or immediately afterward. Prevention of premature labor and better care of the premature infant during labor and the neonatal period offer hope of a greater salvage of premature infants. Proper environment and trained personnel are necessary. Spontaneous delivery is safest for the infant. Difficult operative procedures are associated with a high incidence of birth trauma, asphyxia and death. Since asphyxia is one of the chief causes of infant death, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of it are most important. Administration of oxygen to mildly asphyxiated infants before the injury has become irreversible may help to prevent late manifestations of anopia.