Table 1.

Hierarchy for assigning primary cause of neonatal death [25]

Hierarchy of the cause of death (to be assigned in this order if criteria are met)	Age at death <3 days and gestation <32 weeks	Age at death ≥3 days and gestation <32 weeks	Age at death <3 days and gestation ≥32 weeks	Age at death ≥3 days and gestation ≥32 weeks
1	Congenital anomalies	Congenital anomalies	Congenital anomalies	Congenital anomalies
2	Injuries (not birth related)	Injuries (not birth related)	Injuries (not birth related)	Injuries (not birth related)
3	Asphyxiaa	Asphyxiaa (if age < 7 days)	Asphyxiaa	Asphyxiaa (if age <7 days)
4	Prematurity complications	Tetanus	Serious infection	Tetanus
5	-	Serious infection	Prematurity complications	Serious infection/diarrhoea
6	-	Prematurity complications	Other specific cause	Prematurity complications
7	-	-	-	Other specific cause

^aIt may be difficult to assign asphyxia as the primary cause of death in premature babies <34 weeks gestation (i.e. the baby did not breathe at birth due to prematurity) An alternative is to that asphyxia be collapsed into the prematurity complications if gestation is less than 34 weeks