Improved neonatal survival through maternal transport.

Data on outcome from 239 consecutive infants requiring neonatal intensive care following in utero maternal transport to a regional perinatal center were contrasted with those of 642 infants born in outlying hospitals and consecutively transported as newborns to regional intensive care centers during the same 30-month period (January 1974 through June 1976). Neonatal mortality was lower for maternal transport than for newborn transport infants in comparable groups of mortality risk (based on birthweight and gestational age), reaching levels of significant difference (P less than .05) for groups of premature infants weighing less than 1500 g and born prior to 34 weeks' gestation. A high-risk maternal transport system developed subsequent to a well established newborn transport and intensive care system broadens the scope of patients afforded neonatal intensive care and further reduces neonatal mortality and morbidity in the region it serves.