Birth outcomes in Colorado's undocumented immigrant population
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The birth outcomes of undocumented women have not been systematically studied on a large scale. The growing number of undocumented women giving birth in the United States has important implications for clinical care and public health...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2005-10-01
|
| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/5/100 |
| _version_ | 1818145597573562368 |
|---|---|
| author | Battaglia Catherine Bublitz Caroline Westfall John M Reed Mary M Fickenscher Alexandra |
| author_facet | Battaglia Catherine Bublitz Caroline Westfall John M Reed Mary M Fickenscher Alexandra |
| author_sort | Battaglia Catherine |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The birth outcomes of undocumented women have not been systematically studied on a large scale. The growing number of undocumented women giving birth in the United States has important implications for clinical care and public health policy. The objective of this study was to describe birth outcomes of undocumented immigrants in Colorado.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Retrospective descriptive study of singleton births to 5961 undocumented women using birth certificate data for 1998–1999.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Undocumented mothers were younger, less educated, and more likely to be single. They had higher rates of anemia, were less likely to gain enough weight, and less likely to receive early prenatal care. They were much less likely to use alcohol or tobacco. Undocumented women had a lower rate of low birth weight (5.3% v 6.5%, P < .001) or preterm infants (12.9% v 14.5%; p = .001). Undocumented women experienced higher rates of labor complications including excessive bleeding (2.3% v 0.8%, p < .001) and fetal distress (8.7% v 3.6%, p < .001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Undocumented women have lower rates of preterm delivery and low birth weight infants, but higher rates of pregnancy related risk factors. Higher prevalence of some risk factors which are amenable to medical intervention reveals the need for improved prenatal care in this group.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T12:05:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-47b029b1c8e143dd8b0884d0c4efcd8b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T12:05:59Z |
| publishDate | 2005-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-47b029b1c8e143dd8b0884d0c4efcd8b2022-12-22T01:07:56ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582005-10-015110010.1186/1471-2458-5-100Birth outcomes in Colorado's undocumented immigrant populationBattaglia CatherineBublitz CarolineWestfall John MReed Mary MFickenscher Alexandra<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The birth outcomes of undocumented women have not been systematically studied on a large scale. The growing number of undocumented women giving birth in the United States has important implications for clinical care and public health policy. The objective of this study was to describe birth outcomes of undocumented immigrants in Colorado.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Retrospective descriptive study of singleton births to 5961 undocumented women using birth certificate data for 1998–1999.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Undocumented mothers were younger, less educated, and more likely to be single. They had higher rates of anemia, were less likely to gain enough weight, and less likely to receive early prenatal care. They were much less likely to use alcohol or tobacco. Undocumented women had a lower rate of low birth weight (5.3% v 6.5%, P < .001) or preterm infants (12.9% v 14.5%; p = .001). Undocumented women experienced higher rates of labor complications including excessive bleeding (2.3% v 0.8%, p < .001) and fetal distress (8.7% v 3.6%, p < .001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Undocumented women have lower rates of preterm delivery and low birth weight infants, but higher rates of pregnancy related risk factors. Higher prevalence of some risk factors which are amenable to medical intervention reveals the need for improved prenatal care in this group.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/5/100 |
| spellingShingle | Battaglia Catherine Bublitz Caroline Westfall John M Reed Mary M Fickenscher Alexandra Birth outcomes in Colorado's undocumented immigrant population BMC Public Health |
| title | Birth outcomes in Colorado's undocumented immigrant population |
| title_full | Birth outcomes in Colorado's undocumented immigrant population |
| title_fullStr | Birth outcomes in Colorado's undocumented immigrant population |
| title_full_unstemmed | Birth outcomes in Colorado's undocumented immigrant population |
| title_short | Birth outcomes in Colorado's undocumented immigrant population |
| title_sort | birth outcomes in colorado s undocumented immigrant population |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/5/100 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT battagliacatherine birthoutcomesincoloradosundocumentedimmigrantpopulation AT bublitzcaroline birthoutcomesincoloradosundocumentedimmigrantpopulation AT westfalljohnm birthoutcomesincoloradosundocumentedimmigrantpopulation AT reedmarym birthoutcomesincoloradosundocumentedimmigrantpopulation AT fickenscheralexandra birthoutcomesincoloradosundocumentedimmigrantpopulation |