Abstract
Neonatal mortality due to RDS or hyaline membrane disease (HMD) has never been precisely determined, but merely estimated on the basis of small samples skewed by local factors and not representing the national picture. Due to the long lead time for collection and coding of death certificates, the necessary data for 1968 have only recently become available from the National Center for Health Statistics. These statistics, the first national figures for RDS, were stored on magnetic tapes which were then computer processed by us. Our analysis showed RDS or HMD to be the underlying cause of death in 8273 cases and a major contributing factor in 2724 more, a total of 19.3% of all neonatal deaths. The RDS mortality rates for whites compared to non-whites were 2.30 vs. 2.68 per 1000 live births and 32.4 vs. 19.5 per 1000 premature (less than 2.5 kg) births, respectively.
RDS deaths were evenly distributed throughout the year. The male/female ratio was 1.76 compared to 1.41 for all neonatal deaths. Age at death conformed to clinical experience: 46% on day 1, 26%-day 2, 15%-day 3, 5%-day 4, and 2% on day 5. Comparison of RDS mortality rates with overall neonatal mortality rates for each state showed general agreement except for a few states in which the RDS rates were significantly different.
These data will be useful in planning regional neonatal intensive care facilities and will provide a baseline for later evaluation on a national basis of newer therapeutic methods.
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Wood, R., Farrell, P. & Di Sant'Agnese, P. EPIDEMIOLOGY OF RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME (RDS). Pediatr Res 8, 452 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197404000-00675
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197404000-00675
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