Neonatal Death

When a baby dies in the first 28 days of life, it is called neonatal or perinatal death. In 2006 there were approximately 3,000 perinatal deaths, 2,100 foetal and 900 neonatal deaths in Australia. Neonatal death often occurs as a result of prematurity when the baby is born with underdeveloped organs or a variety of other complications.

Abnormalities and birth defects might minimise the baby’s chances of survival. The most frequent cause of neonatal death is premature birth. Although medical science has advanced considerably in the past decade, a small percentage of babies born between 23 or 24 weeks gestation do survive. However, some miracles babies do survive.