Pneumoperitoneum in the newborn.

Between 1947 and 1964, 32 infants in the first two weeks of life were seen at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, with radiological evidence of free air in the peritoneal cavity. The clinical picture and the radiological signs in these infants are described. Perforations were found at all levels of the gastrointestinal tract. The overall mortality rate was 59%. The stomach was the most common site of perforation; it occurred in 11 children, of whom five survived. Prompt surgery was essential for survival, but when immediate laparotomy is not practical, abdominal paracentesis may prove to be life-saving.