Factors influencing survival and short-term outcomes of very low birth weight infants in a tertiary hospital in Johannesburg.

Background: The neonatal mortality rate in South Africa is lower than the global average, but still approximately five times higher than some European and Scandinavian countries. Prematurity, and its complications, is the main cause (35%) of neonatal deaths.

Objective: To review the maternal, delivery period and infant characteristics in relation to mortality in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH).