OBJECTIVES: to identify possible causes for the excessive rates of neonatal mortality in the municipality of Juiz de Fora and to assess the quality of hospital records. METHODS: a case control study based on information from the medical records of the three main maternity hospitals in the municipality. One hundred and three neonatal deaths were analyzed together with the sample of 232 liveborn babies. RESULTS: birth weight and Apgar index in the fifth minute were important predictive factors for neonatal deaths regardless of the maternity ward. The odd ratio in Hospital 1 was 3,97 times higher than in Hospital 3. Based on specialists' opinion, a medical record score was implemented which indicated that Hospital 1 had the lowest mean not only in relation to the cases but to the controls as well. CONCLUSIONS: the absence of information adequately registered in medical records is an indicator of poor medical assistance and certainly, delays proper care. The investigation reported deficiencies, particularly in the records, of the perinatal care offered by the three maternity hospitals.
Neonatal mortality; Services evaluation; Hospital records
