Infection is one of the leading causes of perinatal mortality worldwideaccounting for 36% of cases. Perinatal mortality in Latvia is slowly decreasing: from 7.3 per 1000 live births in 2013 to 6.7 per 1000 live births in 2015. Intrauterine infection still is a global problem and a significant factor that affects morbidity and mortality of the mother and the child.This study includes data about the cause of death, including infections, from 417 autopsy protocols of all fetuses and neonates between 22 weeks of gestation and < 7 days postpartum from 2013 to 2015.The main cause of perinatal mortality was antenatal fetal asphyxia in 50% (n=210), followed by infections -39% (n=163), including cases of chorioamnionitis. The highest mortality rate was found in the 22 nd -27 th+6 (i.e. 27 full weeks and 6 days) gestational weeks -32% of cases (n=135). Intrauterine pneumonia accounted for 24% (n=39) of all the infection caused deaths, meconium aspiration pneumonia -0.04% (n=6), early neonatal sepsis -0.03% (n=4) and specific infections like syphilis and cytomegalovirus -0.02% (n=3). Histological examination of the placenta, the placental cord and fetal membranes was made in 61% (n=255) of cases, and 19.6% (n=50) of them had an infection.

Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the leading causes of neonatal morbidity, mortality and surgical emergencies. As the survival rate of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants is rising, so is the risk of NEC. The aim of this study was to compare diagnostics parameters like clinical and radiological findings and laboratory indicators and the treatment and outcome of NEC patients from 2000 till 2007 (Group 1) and from 2008 till 2016 (Group 2) treated in Neonatology Clinic (NC) of Children’s Clinical University Hospital (CCUH). In the rectrospective study, 277 newborns were divided among Group I and Group II – 105 and 172 patients, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between both study groups in mean gestational age and birth weight. In both groups the first signs of NEC appeared on average eight days after birth. Differences in the diagnostic method used in both groups were not statistically significant; specific radiological findings were seen in approximately 1/3 of the cases. There were statistically significant differences in the management of NEC and patient mortality. Conservative therapy was applied in 70.0% of patients in both study groups. Over time, peritoneal drainage (PPD) as the sole surgical treatment decreased by 6.4%, but PPD with following enterostomy decreased by 8.9%. In Group 2 mortality of NEC patients decreased by 17.4%. Mortality among surgically treated NEC patients decreased as well, by 9.0%.