Twenty seven babies with severe non-haemolytic hydrops fetalis were born during a 7 1/4 year period (1/1400 total births). Thirteen were live born and admitted to the intensive care nursery, but only three survived. The survivors differed from those live born infants who died in the neonatal period in that the cause of the hydrops was discovered antenatally, their serum concentrations of total protein and albumin were normal, and they had no structural anomaly. A scheme of investigation of the severely hydropic fetus in the antenatal period is outlined and the role of active obstetric management is evaluated.