Two geographically defined populations with different organization of medical care. Comparison of perinatal risks.

Two geographically defined samples with different perinatal health services were compared concerning certain perinatal risk factors. Differences in maternal age, parity, gestational length and birth weight distributions existed but could not explain an observed difference in early neonatal mortality being lower in districts served by general hospitals with specialized obstetric care but without own neonatal wards than in districts served by central hospitals with both these facilities. Other population-related variables are also discussed.