An analysis of air transport results in the sick newborn II. Antenatal and neonatal referrals.

The neonatal intensive-care unit at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center admits approximately 350 infants each year. At least half of these infants are referred, and, since 1973, there has been a steady increase in antenatal referrals. In 1975, in utero referrals exceeded neonatal referrals. The entire perinatal population of two referring hospitals was retrospectively evaluated in order to compare neonatal and in utero transfers. The neonatal transfers had higher-than-predicted mortality rate, while the in utero referrals had not only lower-than-predicted mortality rate, but the survivors had a shorter hospital stay. The combined neonatal/perinatal regionalization program resulted in a perinatal mortality rate of eight and 7.6 per 1,000 births in the two hospitals during the study period.