[Quality assessment in neonatology].

After discussing some general factors influencing the result of medical care at all (socio-economic conditions, biological factors), the difficulties of neonatal quality control compared with the assessment of quality in obstetric care are pointed out (greater variability of the data, evaluation of long-term effects). In addition to the obstetric system of data collection a similar evaluation of neonatal data is recommended to be introduced and definitions for general use are given. The recommendations are based on own investigations of the predictive value of some data gained within the perinatal period (history, physical examination, laboratory tests etc.). The high expenditures of personnel and equipment, at present, don't allow a nationwide introduction of such records. But in future perinatal centers should collect their data in an unique way according to this recommendations for comparing the efficiency of perinatal care in voluntary programs of quality control. The experiences collected by those analyses will be of great value concerning planning the design of a nationwide data recording system in perinatal medicine.