Aim Neonatal autopsies is a guide to explore the causes of the perinatal mortalities which is important marker for evaluation of the health policies. Multidisciplinary approach which includes obstetrician, pediatrician, pathologist and geneticist is required for the neonatal autopsies. We aimed to evaluate the neonatal autopsies in our center.

Methods Thirty-eight neonatal autopsies performed between January 2009 and December 2010 were evaluated in respect to demographic characteristics, clinical and pathological diagnosis retrospectively.

Results 7055 neonates were administered to our NICU between January 2009 and December 2010. 404 of the neonates passed away (5.7%). Only the 38 (9.4%) of the neonates’ parents give permission for autopsy. Of these neonates were 15 female (39%) and 23 male (61%). Sixty percent of these neonates were premature. Prematurity was higher in male neonates (p=0.001). Median gestational age was 32 (22–41) weeks. Median overall survival of the neonates were 4 (0–80) days. Eighty-three percent of the clinical diagnoses were correlated with the pathological diagnosis. Sixty percent of the clinical and pathological diagnoses were cardiovascular anomalies, diaphragmatic hernia, perinatal asphyxia and prematurity. Two neonates had pneumonia diagnosis by the autopsy. Only one of the neonate’s placenta had chorioamnionitis.

Conclusion Neonatal autopsy rates should be increased to decrease the neonatal mortality rate in our country. Neonatal autopsies should be done with multidisciplinary approach and become prevalent and get more progress in our country.