Delivery and immigration: the experience of an Italian hospital.
OBJECTIVE
We studied mode of delivery and prevalence of complications in pregnant women from the western world (WW) and immigrant mothers from non European Union (non-EU) countries at a third level Italian Obstetric Department.


METHODS
The study was population based and used data from the local Birth Registry at the University of Bologna. A 1:1 case control was performed by matching 510 single live births from immigrant mothers (non-EU) during the period 1997-2001 with 510 controls in chronological order (WW). Data were matched by age and parity.


RESULTS
No differences between the two groups were noted as concerns preterm delivery, percentage of infants transferred to neonatal intensive care unit, perinatal mortality, caesarean section rate, episiotomies, instrumental deliveries and post-partum complications. Significant differences were noted in the rate of elective caesarean section (which was higher in the WW women: P < 0.01) and in the rate of vaginal lacerations and neonatal malformations (which was higher in the non-EU group: P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There was no substantial variation in the mode of delivery between non-EU immigrants and western women; only the rate of elective caesarean section was significantly higher in the WW group. A higher rate of vaginal lacerations and neonatal malformations was found in the non-EU group. In our experience the standard of medical care is achievable regardless of ethnic group.
Rizzo
Nicola
N
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, University of Bologna, via Massarenti 13, Bologna 40139, Italy. nrizzo@med.unibo.it
Ciardelli
Valentina
V
Gandolfi Colleoni
Giulia
G
Bonavita
Benedetta
B
Parisio
Chiara
C
Farina
Antonio
A
Bovicelli
Luciano
L
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D012189:Retrospective Studies