[Effects of the place of birth on mortality and morbidity of premature newborn infants. Initial experiences at a newly organized perinatal center].

In a retrospective study 276 newborns who weighed less than 2000 g at birth were differentiated according to birth weight classes, and the mortality and morbidity rates among them studied in relation to their birthplaces. Children from the neighboring gynecological clinic were more frequently delivered by cesarean section and practically always benefited from uninterrupted pediatric care from birth on. The incidence of surfactant deficiency syndrome among these infants was lower in all weight groups; intraventricular hemorrhages were less common and their chances of survival were better. The study confirms that the prognosis for high-risk children transferred "in utero" is better than for patients moved postnatally, even in a new perinatal center.