1. Introduction
The neonatal mortality rate (NMR) includes deaths that occur at birth and up to 28 days after birth (1, 2), and NMR
is an essential index in assessing health in a community (3, 4). The NMR in Iran is 12-15 per 1000 live births,
whereas it is only about 5 per 1000 in developed countries (5). Neonatal mortality is divided into very early
mortality (death in the first 24 h after birth), early mortality (death between one and seven days after birth), and late