Evaluating the quality of perinatal health care.

1. The quality of perinatal health care is indirectly evaluated by determining the PNM rate. 2. The standardized PNM rate is a useful index to identify perinatal care facilities that need further review by perinatal mortality audit. 3. Long-term follow-up is needed to determine if decreasing mortality by obstetric interventions is accompanied by a beneficial effect on the surviving infants or by an increase in morbidity. 4. In the near future, mortality and severity of illness data will be required for hospital accreditation. 5. The present challenge is to contain costs without lowering the quality of care.