Perinatal Outcomes Among Immigrant Mothers in Central Italy
Author Information
Author(s): Cacciani Laura, Asole Simona, Polo Arianna, Franco Francesco, Lucchini Renato, De Curtis Mario, Di Lallo Domenico, Guasticchi Gabriella
Primary Institution: Laziosanità - Agency for Public Health of Lazio Region
Hypothesis
Do infants of foreign-born mothers living in Italy have different odds of adverse perinatal outcomes compared to those of native-born mothers?
Conclusion
Migrant status is a risk factor for adverse perinatal health, but perinatal outcomes have improved over time for some immigrant women.
Supporting Evidence
- Perinatal outcomes were worse among infants of immigrant compared to Italian mothers.
- Most outcomes improved over time among all infants.
- Sub-Saharan and West African mothers had the highest odds of adverse outcomes.
Takeaway
This study found that babies born to immigrant mothers in Italy are more likely to have health problems at birth, but things are getting better over time.
Methodology
The study analyzed hospital discharge data for singleton births in the Lazio region over two periods (1996-1998 and 2006-2008) to compare perinatal outcomes based on the mother's region of birth.
Potential Biases
Potential biases include the inability to identify illegal residents and the lack of data on fathers' characteristics.
Limitations
The study lacked information on some risk factors such as socio-economic status and prenatal care, and could not analyze perinatal death due to data limitations.
Participant Demographics
The study included 296,739 singleton births, with 14,901 infants born to immigrant mothers in the first period and 33,830 in the second.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95%CI:1.44-2.28 for very preterm births
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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