Urban perinatal health inequalities.
OBJECTIVE
Large urban areas have higher perinatal mortality rates. In attaining a better understanding, we conducted an analysis on a neighborhood level in Rotterdam, the second largest city of The Netherlands.


METHODS
Perinatal outcome of all single pregnancies (50,000) was analyzed for the period of 2000-2006. The prevalences of perinatal mortality and perinatal morbidity were determined for every neighborhood.


RESULTS
Large perinatal health inequalities exist between neighborhoods in the city of Rotterdam with perinatal mortality rates as high as 37 per 1000 births. The highest risks were observed in deprived neighborhoods.


CONCLUSIONS
We observed high levels of perinatal health inequalities in the city of Rotterdam which have not been previously described in the Western world. Accumulation of medical risk factors as well as socioeconomic and urban risk factors seems to be a likely contributor.
Poeran
Jashvant
J
Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute of Health Policy & Management, PO Box 1738, Rotterdam 3000 DR, The Netherlands. v.j.j.poeran@erasmusmc.nl
Denktas
Semiha
S
Birnie
Erwin
E
Bonsel
Gouke J
GJ
Steegers
Eric A P
EA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000208:ethnology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054238:Perinatal Mortality / Q000208:ethnology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D012923:Social Class; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult