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Antenatal care and perinatal outcomes of asylum seeking women and their infants.

Sturrock, S; Williams, E; Dassios, T; Greenough, A (2021) Antenatal care and perinatal outcomes of asylum seeking women and their infants. J Perinat Med, 49 (5). pp. 619-623. ISSN 1619-3997 https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2020-0572
SGUL Authors: Sturrock, Sarah Sabalis

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Asylum seekers have been highlighted as a particularly vulnerable group of expectant mothers due to complex medical and psychosocial needs, as well as the difficulties they may face in accessing care. Our aim was to examine if there were differences in the antenatal care and perinatal outcomes for asylum seeking women when compared to age- and ethnicity-matched controls delivering at the same hospital. METHODS: Two age- and ethnicity-matched non-asylum seeking controls were identified for each asylum-seeking woman. Electronic patient records were analysed to determine the amount of antenatal care received and neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-four asylum-seeking women were identified who had term born infants. The median number of antenatal care episodes at the delivering hospital was significantly fewer amongst asylum-seeking women compared to controls (three vs. nine, p<0.0001). The median number of antenatal ultrasound examinations at the delivering hospital amongst asylum-seeking women was one (IQR 1-2), compared to three (IQR 3-4) in the controls (p<0.0001). The postnatal length of stay was significantly longer for infants of asylum-seeking women (median three vs. two days, p=0.002). Thirty-seven percent of asylum seeking women but none of the controls required assistance from social services. There was a significant correlation between antenatal and postnatal costs for asylum seeking women (r=0.373, p=0.042), but not for controls (r=0.171, p=0.181). CONCLUSIONS: The increased postnatal length of stay in the infants of asylum seeking mothers may reflect their mother's reduced antenatal care and hence insufficient discharge planning for mothers and infants with increased social needs.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: © 2021 Sarah Sturrock et al., published by De Gruyter. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Keywords: antenatal care, asylum seeker, cost of care, neonatal care, antenatal care, asylum seeker, cost of care, neonatal care, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine, Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine
SGUL Research Institute / Research Centre: Academic Structure > Infection and Immunity Research Institute (INII)
Journal or Publication Title: J Perinat Med
ISSN: 1619-3997
Language: eng
Dates:
DateEvent
25 June 2021Published
22 February 2021Published Online
8 February 2021Accepted
Publisher License: Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Projects:
Project IDFunderFunder ID
MC_PC_14105Medical Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000265
PubMed ID: 33607706
Go to PubMed abstract
URI: https://openaccess.sgul.ac.uk/id/eprint/113024
Publisher's version: https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2020-0572

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