[Intrapartum fetal death].

Among the 18,394 children, who have been born at the Obstetric Department of the University of Innsbruck, Austria, from 1976 to 1984, 16 intrapartum deaths have been observed. Eight of these who have been vaginally delivered showed anomalies of presentation, three were anencephali, the others were singularities. There was an impressive improvement in the course of the years, but also in comparison with international results. In bur eyes, the consequence of this study is the avoiding of preterm births, an increased use of the caesarean in preterm infants with anomalies of presentation and the intensive observation intrapartum combined with a human background.