The effect of tick infestation on the health of roe deer Capreolus capreolus neonates is largely unknown. I studied how roe deer neonates are affected by tick burden; does the number of attached ticks affect 1) body mass, 2) growth rate, 3) body temperature and 4) survival rate? In total, 48 roe deer neonates were captured (age 1-27 days) and fitted with radio-collars in two study areas in south-central Sweden, Bogesund (N = 25) and Grimsö (N = 23). Each neonate was captured 1-3 times. Tick burden was estimated at each catch and samples of ticks were collected. At Bogesund, 48 % (N = 12) of the fawns died and at Grimsö, 30 % (N = 6) of the fawns died. The main cause of death at both sites was due to predation by red fox Vulpes vulpes, who accounted for 50 % of the mortality at Bogesund and 83 % of the mortality at Grimsö. Average tick burden was 13 ticks per fawn at Bogesund with a variation in tick burden of 0 to 80 ticks each isolated catch. At Grimsö, average tick burden was 4 ticks per fawn, with a variation in tick burden of 0 to 29 ticks each isolated catch. Tick burden was positively correlated with age, weight and hind foot length at Bogesund but not at Grimsö. Tick burden did not affect weight gain nor growth rate of the fawns during the time of the research. Body temperature of the later deceased fawns was found to increase with increased number of ticks in a higher rate than for the surviving fawns. However, size of tick burden alone did not appear to affect the survival status of the fawn, since the surviving fawns had a higher average tick burden than the later deceased fawns.