Benefits of a statewide high-risk perinatal program.

A study was undertaken to determine whether newborn infants of women in a statewide high-risk program had less perinatal mortality and higher birth weight than newborn infants of high-risk women not in the program. The number of fetal and neonatal deaths was twice as high in the nonprogram group, but there was no statistical difference in birth weight distribution in the two groups. Possible reasons for the program's effectiveness are the facts that a greater number of program women had more prenatal visits and were delivered in a Level II or Level III hospital by appropriate personnel.