Abstract
Care of pregnant migrants is a considerable challenge for all health care workers
and health systems. Maternal mortality and serious morbidity are both greatly increased
among migrants in western countries, particularly in Africans and asylum seekers.
While in many instances, migrants are healthier than native populations and have better
perinatal outcomes, this is inconsistent and poorer outcomes are described in many
groups. The causes of suboptimal outcomes are numerous and are strongly influenced
by the health-seeking behaviour of the parturients. Accordingly, improvement in outcome
requires a multifaceted approach with a focus on early access to antenatal services
and enhanced medical screening and surveillance for detection and optimisation of
comorbid conditions. Provision and/or acceptance of analgesia in labour have not been
well researched but existing data are sufficient to suggest that some migrant groups
do not receive equivalent pain relief during labour. Provision of information and
translation services are important components in improvement of standards of care.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 16, 2011
Accepted:
June 27,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
