The Peninsula Maternity and Neonatal Service. An urban community perinatal programme.

The first year of existence of the Peninsula Maternity and Neonatal Service (PMNS) is reviewed. Some 21000 deliveries per annum fall under the Service. The ethnic distribution in 1980 was 27% Black, 69% Coloured and 4% White. The perinatal mortality rates per 1000 births were 31,2 for Blacks, 29,4 for Coloureds and 15,0 for Whites, with an overall perinatal mortality rate for the PMNS of 29,2. The administration of the PMNS is described. The Midwife Obstetric Units are discussed under the following headings: function, workload, advantages, and continuing education. Research opportunities and the main problems in the PMNS are outlined.