Introduction:
A study conducted on the basis of the branch statistical data for 2000–2010, as well as the data of mother and child health monitoring carried out by the Centre for Medical Statistics of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine (2007–2010) demonstrated a 2.6 times decrease in the rates of perinatal mortality listed according to the WHO criteria during the observation period. At the same time, the general level of the registered perinatal mortality in Ukraine remains high compared with European rates, exceeding the average European rate by 43.2% and that of the EU by 60.9%. Considerably higher proportional rates (1.8 times) of perinatal mortality of infants weighing more than 1,500 g, compared with those weighing under 1,500 g, are evidence of both the low-quality medical services at all stages (obstetric care before and during delivery, neonatological assistance), and insufficient reliability of infant registration at birth, which can cause a deformation shift in healthcare priorities.