Maternal and neonatal characteristics of an immigrant population in an Italian hospital.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the maternal and neonatal immigrant population and to compare it with the Italian population in the Agostino Gemelli Hospital (Rome).


METHODS
This study was a prospective population-based study. We compared 595 newborns from immigrant mothers with 2413 newborns from Italian mothers. Neonatal characteristics included in this study were sex, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, transfer to pathology units, minor pathologies, and type of breastfeeding at discharge. Maternal characteristics included nationality, age, parity, type of delivery, twin birth, and pathology during the pregnancy.


RESULTS
Immigrant newborns comprised 20% of the total births included in the study. No statistically significant differences were found between immigrant and Italian newborns in gestational age, birth weight, or Apgar score. Immigrant newborns were transferred to the Paediatric Infectious Disease Unit more frequently than Italian newborns, had a significantly higher incidence of hyperbilirubinemia and a higher rate of exclusive and prevalent breastfeeding at discharge. Immigrant mothers came predominantly from Eastern Europe, were younger and had caesarean sections less frequently than Italian mothers.


CONCLUSIONS
No significant differences in biological and clinical characteristics or in medical practice were found between groups, except for a higher frequency of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and an inclination among immigrant mothers toward breastfeeding.
Zuppa
Antonio Alberto
AA
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo A. Gemelli 8, Rome, Italy. zuppaaa@rm.unicatt.it
Orchi
Claudia
C
Calabrese
Valentina
V
Verrillo
Gemma
G
Perrone
Sabrina
S
Pasqualini
Patrizia
P
Cota
Francesco
F
Ranno
Orazio
O
Valentini
Piero
P
Giannantonio
Carmen
C
Cardiello
Valentina
V
Romagnoli
Costantino
C
D000328:Adult; D001034:Apgar Score; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009099:Multiple Birth Offspring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010298:Parity / Q000502:physiology; D011153:Population; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult