Perinatal events in the Dunedin City population 1967-1973.

The incidence of an array of maternal, obstetric and neonatal events occurring in the Dunedin City population in the six years from 1 August 1967 is presented. This population was not truly representative of the total New Zealand population. The total births in Dunedin City were 10,091 and the perinatal mortality was 17.5 per 1000 total births. Some of the pertinent findings were: 8.8 percent of the mothers were either not married or were not living with their husbands; 36.5 percent were primigravida; 13.2 percent of mothers were less than 20 years of age; 9.6 percent of mothers had an adverse past obstetric history; 11.5 percent had a diastolic blood pressure in excess of 90mmHg during the pregnancy; 5.0 percent had an antepartum haemorrhage of which 45.4 percent occurred in the first trimester; 6.5 percent of newborns were non-European; 2.0 percent were multiple births; 0.8 percent had a single umbilical artery; in 27.4 percent the delivery was not spontaneous; 6.2 percent had a low birth weight; 4.0 percent were born preterm; 5.2 percent of newborns experience neonatal complications; 2.1 percent had a major, and 6.4 percent a minor congenital fault.