Ivan Frič, František Bauer, Gabriela Magyarová, Klaudia Demová, Alica Bystrická
This study presents an overview on a contemporary situation and problems of perinatal care in newborns with birth weight under 1 500 grams (very low birth weight newborns) in Slovakia. Mortality of this group of newborns represents a significant part of neonatal mortality rate. Specific mortality rates in both subgroups (242 ‰ in newborns less than 1 000 g and 84 ‰ in newborns 1000 - 1499 g) and also rates of perinatal morbidity are significantly higher than in many developed countries. There are discussed the problems of a decision-making process in cases of management in high-risk pregnancies with the borderline gestational age in relation to viability of the foetus and priorities of the interventional strategy to improve the quality of perinatal care.