The aim of this study was to investigate the association of sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, maternal reproductive profile and prenatal and childbirth care with neonatal near miss (NNM) morbidity in four birth cohorts. This study involved four population-based birth cohorts: Ribeirão Preto (RP) and São Luís (SL) (2010), Pelotas 2004 (PEL04) and 2015 (PEL15). NNM was defined when one or more of the following conditions were present: birthweight <1,500 g, 5-minute Apgar score <7, gestational age <32 weeks, and report of congenital malformations. The covariates were obtained with questionnaires applied to the puerperal women. Some particularities between cohorts were identified. In the RP and SL cohorts, factors of the more distal levels (sociodemographic, lifestyle, and reproductive profile) were associated with NNM. On the other hand, proximal factors related to healthcare were more significant for the occurrence of NNM in PEL. Only the absence of prenatal care was associated with NNM in all cohorts: RP (OR=4.27, 95%CI 2.16-8.45), SL (OR=2.32, 95%CI 1.09-4.94), PEL04 (OR=4.79, 95%CI 1.59-14.46), and PEL15 (OR=5.10, 95%CI 2.60-9.97).