Early neonatal mortality is more likely in infants born at night

Analysis of data on over two million spontaneous live births in Sweden showed that infants born at night have a greater risk of infant and neonatal mortality than infants born in the day. A detailed 24 hour analysis showed two "high risk periods"between 5 pm and 1 am and around 9 am. Luo and Karlberg (p 1327) found that these differences were more obvious for preterm births and for deaths related to asphyxia. The differences have not diminished over the past two decades and were greater in the 1990s, when there was a 30% increase in early neonatal mortality, even with the improvements in medical care and technologies. Staff shift changes and the periods immediately after are high risk periods for early neonatal care, and better vigilance and management of shift changes may improve night time neonatal care.

Dashed lines represent reference mean values over 24 hours

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Relevant Article

Timing of birth and infant and early neonatal mortality in Sweden 1973-95: longitudinal birth register study

Z C Luo and J Karlberg
BMJ 2001 323: 1327. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]