title: The East Timorese: a high-risk ethnic minority in UK obstetrics: a cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the incidence of antenatal risk-factors and adverse maternal outcome in women of East Timorese origin within a UK population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective cohort study assessed a sample of women of East Timorese Origin (N = 42) attending UK maternity services from 01/2011 to 09/2012 compared to a control group of a standard UK maternity population (N = 7210). Data on the rate of pregnancy related risk-factors and complications were obtained from a computerized patient note database (NIMATS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The East Timorese were at significant risk antenatally of anaemia (OR 19.5 (95% CI 10.2-37.2) (p < 0.001)), gestational diabetes (OR 10.6 (95% CI 4.6-24.4) (p < 0.001)) and hypertension in pregnancy (OR 4.6 (95% CI 1.4-15.3) (p < 0.01)) as well as late booking for care (OR 19.5 (95% CI 10.2-37.2) p < 0.001). In terms of post-partum complications there was a significant risk of admission to the intensive-care unit (OR 20.0 (95% CI 4.5-89.0) p < 0.001) and of postpartum hemorrhage (OR 15.9 (95% CI 7.7-33.0) p < 0.001). In 72 documented occasions an interpreter could not be obtained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women from East Timor are a high-risk ethnic minority who, with added risk-factors of late booking and difficulty in obtaining interpreters are at greater risk of complications in pregnancy and the puerperium.
authors.affiliation: a UCD Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital , Dublin , Ireland .
authors.forename: Fionnuala
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mone
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Manderson
authors.forename: Fionnuala M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: McAuliffe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000208:ethnology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000208:ethnology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006473:Postpartum Hemorrhage / Q000208:ethnology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000208:ethnology; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk / Q000208:ethnology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Global Health; Timor-Leste; interpreter; maternal medicine