Neonatal Death If a baby dies within the first 28 days after they’re born, it is known as a neonatal death. In 2018, 2,131 babies died in their first 28 days of life in the UK. Why do babies in the UK die soon after birth? Sometimes the answer is clear, and other times a doctor or coroner will need to run tests or do a post-mortem to find out what happened and why. Sometimes they're not able to find out why. Most neonatal deaths are linked to complications due to prematurity, but other causes include: genetic disorders complications during or after birth infections Manage Cookie Preferences