Surgical emergencies in the newborn.

Paediatric surgery is a young specialty whose rapid growth in the United Kingdom has largely been as a result of the development of neonatal surgery in the past 20 years. A decreasing birth rate, and pre-natal diagnosis of some major congenital anormalies with the possibility of termination of pregnancy, are likely to prevent further increases to neonatal surgical units. Expansion of case material is likely to come from earlier attacks on congenital heart disease, and improvement in results is more likely to come from improved respiratory management than from the development of new surgical techniques.