Several studies made by others1have stated the conclusion that maternal factors were not important in relation to the neonatal survival of the premature infant. The usual contention is that the birth weight of the premature infant largely determines its ability to initiate a satisfactory extrauterine existence. Obviously, birth weight as an evidence of maturity has a great deal to do with fetal survival. However, it is not the only controlling element in a satisfactory fetal prognosis. We have found the good health of the mother and the absence of serious obstetric complications to be of extreme importance. Only one other study, that of Diddle and Plass,2has indicated that factors other than birth weight influence fetal prognosis. This paper is a review of our experience with premature infants born on our obstetric services from July 1, 1946 to Feb. 1, 1949. Among 477 premature births, in which