ABSTRACT Background: The term neonaticide describes the act of killing a newborn child by a parent (mostly the mother) within twenty-four hour after birth. Neonaticide is the commonest murder ever practiced throughout history. Different motivational factors leading mothers to commit neonaticidal acts including social, socio-economic and psychological factors. Aim: The aim of this work was to clarify the extent of this crime in the Egyptian capital; Cairo Governorate, in order to obtain an imagination about the real extent of the problem through a comparison with similar studies in other cultures. Methodology: seventy five neonatal deaths referred to Cairo Morgue during two years (2008-2009) included in this study, all were died within twenty four hours after birth. Reports' data were retrospectively studied and analyzed. Results: The study included seventy five neonates; thirty one males (41.3%) and forty three females (57.3%) and one case whose sex couldn't be determined. Regarding the neonaticides; three cases were males (20%) while twelve cases were females (80%).The results revealed that (20%) of the cases were diagnosed as homicidal i.e. neonaticides, and (66.7%) were diagnosed as accidental and pathological, while in (13.3%) the manner of death could not be determined. Forty-five cases (60%) had been born at full term and thirty cases (40%) prematurely. Regarding the cause of death, twenty four cases (32%) died due to prematurity and low birth weight; nineteen cases (25.33%) were died due to head injury and cerebral hemorrhage; of which six cases were neonaticidal (32%), while death due to respiratory problems and cardiovascular causes accounted for thirteen cases (17.30%). Violent asphyxia was diagnosed in five cases (6.70%), all were homicidal (neonaticide) and omission was accounted for three cases (4%). Hemorrhagic shock was the cause of death in one case (1.33%) and it was homicidal. Fetal malformation accounted for one case (1.33%). Conclusion: We concluded that neonaticide is a problem in Cairo governorate. The problem must be thoroughly investigated and carefully studied from different perspectives in order to achieve a reasonable solution.