Perinatal intervention and neonatal outcomes near the limit of viability.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate trends in the level of obstetric and neonatal intervention near the limit of viability and perinatal morbidity and mortality rates over time.

Study Design: In this retrospective chart review, live-born infants who were delivered at 23 to 26 weeks of gestation and who weighed between 500 and 1500 g between 1990 and 2001 in an urban tertiary care center were identified. Maternal charts were reviewed for clinical characteristics and antenatal and intrapartum course.