Somali women and their pregnancy outcomes postmigration: data from six receiving countries

Indicators of acculturation related to Somali refugee women's birth outcomes in Minnesota

We investigated the effect of indicators of acculturation among Somali refugee women's birth outcomes. Data were extracted from medical records of 584 Somali women delivering infants at a Midwestern hospital between 1993 and 2006. Bivariate analyses measured relationships between independent factors and the dependent variables of gestational age and birthweight. Structural equation modeling (SEM) determined the fit between factors hypothesized to reflect acculturation and the data. Significant increases noted over time were substance use/exposure, interpreter use, body mass index, hemoglobin levels, gestational diabetes and preterm birth. Bivariate analyses showed significance between prenatal care utilization and both preterm birth and gestational age. SEM results indicated a moderate to good fit between the hypothesized model and available data. Factors hypothesized to reflect acculturation and effect birth outcomes among Somali women are increasing but did not account for increased preterm birth. Further investigation is warranted to identify and truncate further disparate birth outcomes.

Stillbirths and hospital early neonatal deaths at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre-Malawi

Background

Much of the data on still births and early neonatal deaths from resource-limited settings are obtained via maternal recall from national or community level surveys. While this approach results in useful information to be obtained, often such data suffer from significant recall bias and misclassification. In order to determine the prevalence of stillbirths (SB), early hospital neonatal death (EHND) and associated factors in Blantyre, Malawi, a prospective study of pregnant and post-natal women was conducted at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), Malawi.

Methods

A prospective observational study was conducted between February 1, 2004 and October 30, 2005. Consecutive women attending the hospital for delivery were recruited. Data were collected on the health status of the fetus on admission to labor ward and immediately after delivery, whether alive or dead. Gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) and sex of the newborn were also noted. Similar data were also collected on the live births that died in the delivery room or nursery. Data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) statistical package.

Results

A total of 10,700 deliveries were conducted during the 12 months study period and of these deliveries, 845 (7.9%) were SB and EHND. Stillbirths comprised 3.4% of all deliveries; 20.2% of the ante-partum deaths occurred before the mother was admitted to the labor ward while a slightly higher proportion (22.7%) of fetal loss occurred during the process of labor and delivery. Fifty-sex percent of the perinatal deaths (PD) were EHND. The mean gestational age for the perinatal deaths was 34.7 weeks and mean birth weight was 2,155 g (standard deviation = 938 g). The majority, 468 (57.8%) of the perinatal deaths were males and 350 (43.2%) were females. Many of the perinatal deaths (57.9%) were deliveries between gestational ages of 20 and 37 weeks. Most (62.7%) of the mothers with a perinatal death had experienced a previous similar incident.

Conclusion

About 3.4% of all pregnant mothers past 20 weeks of gestation ended up in delivering a stillbirth; another 4.4% of the live births died before discharge from hospital, thus, 7.9% of pregnancy loss after 20 weeks (or 500 g estimated weight) of gestation. This is a higher loss when compared to international and regional data. We recommend attention be given to these unfavorable outcomes and preventive measures or intervention for preventable causes be considered seriously. These measures could include the provision of emergency obstetric care, improving access to deliveries by health professionals and resourcing of health facilities such that neonatal viability is promoted.

Migration to western industrialised countries and perinatal health: a systematic review

Influxes of migrant women of childbearing age to receiving countries have made their perinatal health status a key priority for many governments. The international research collaboration Reproductive Outcomes And Migration (ROAM) reviewed published studies to assess whether migrants in western industrialised countries have consistently poorer perinatal health than receiving-country women. A systematic review of literature from Medline, Health Star, Embase and PsychInfo from 1995 to 2008 included studies of migrant women/infants related to pregnancy or birth. Studies were excluded if there was no cross-border movement or comparison group or if the receiving country was not western and industrialised. Studies were assessed for quality, analysed descriptively and meta-analysed when possible. We identified 133 reports (>20,000,000 migrants), only 23 of which could be meta-analysed. Migrants were described primarily by geographic origin; other relevant aspects (e.g., time in country, language fluency) were rarely studied. Migrants' results for preterm birth, low birthweight and health-promoting behaviour were as good or better as those for receiving-country women in >or=50% of all studies. Meta-analyses found that Asian, North African and sub-Saharan African migrants were at greater risk of feto-infant mortality than 'majority' receiving populations, and Asian and sub-Saharan African migrants at greater risk of preterm birth. The migration literature is extensive, but the heterogeneity of the study designs and definitions of migrants limits the conclusions that can be drawn. Research that uses clear, specific migrant definitions, adjusts for relevant risk factors and includes other aspects of migrant experience is needed to confirm and understand these associations.