Abstract:

Objective: To investigate the incidence of perinatal features and neonatal morbidities in migrant mothers and and to compare them with native Turkish mothers. Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the medical records of 89 infants born to Syrian immigrants and 89 infants born to native Turkish mothers who were consecutively admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of our hospital between 2015 and 2019. Statistical analyses were used to compare demographic data and perinatal and neonatal outcomes between the two groups. Results: Compared to Turkish mothers, Syrian mothers were significantly younger and included more adolescents (p <0.01). The rates of multiple pregnancy, consanguineous marriage, and prolonged premature membrane rupture were also significantly higher in Syrian mothers (p <0.05). The incidences of congenital anomalies, respiratory distress syndrome, transient tachypnea in newborns, pneumonia/bronchiolitis, sepsis, jaundice, and feeding problems were the same for infants born to Syrian and Turkish mothers (p >0.05). In addition, the two groups did not differ with respect to gestational week at birth, birth weight, sex, delivery type, Apgar score, duration of hospital stay, and infant mortality incidence (p >0.05). Conclusion: The immigrant status negatively affects perinatal and neonatal outcomes. However, the incidences of infant mortality and neonatal morbidity did not differ between infants born to Syrian or Turkish mothers. This may be due to the recent improvements in the of overall health status of migrant women or of those migrants living in Turkey being able to have access to increased prenatal and postnatal period mother-child health services policies which have been successfully implemented.

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