title: Clinical characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of Syrian refugees: a case-control study in a tertiary care hospital in Istanbul, Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and pregnancy outcomes in women who are Syrian refugees and Turkish women who are non-refugees at a maternity center in Istanbul, Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 600 singleton pregnancies who delivered at Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital were included in the study. Demographic data, obstetrical history, clinical findings, obstetrical and neonatal outcomes were compared between 300 Syrian refugees and 300 control patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Syrian refugee patients were significantly younger than Turkish patients. The percentage of adolescents aged 12-19 years were significantly higher in the Syrian patients (14.3 vs. 5.3 %, p < 0,001). 41.3 % of the refugee patients had no antenatal care. However, this ratio was only 7.7 % for the control group (p < 0.001). Preterm birth rates showed no difference between the groups, however, postterm birth rates were significantly higher in the control group. Low Birthweight (<2500 gr), oligohydramnios, stillbirth and fetal anomaly rates were not different between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison to non-refugee control patients, refugee women in our study had poor antenatal care but no adverse perinatal outcomes were observed. Further larger multicenter studies may provide more convincing data about obstetric outcomes in the Syrian refugee population as well as adolescent pregnancies in this population.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Halaskargazi caddesi, Etfal sokak, 34360, Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey. hakanerenel@yahoo.com.
authors: Hakan
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7583-5385
authors: H
authors: Erenel
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Halaskargazi caddesi, Etfal sokak, 34360, Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Begum
authors: B
authors: Aydogan Mathyk
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Veysel
authors: V
authors: Sal
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Halaskargazi caddesi, Etfal sokak, 34360, Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Isil
authors: I
authors: Ayhan
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Halaskargazi caddesi, Etfal sokak, 34360, Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Suat
authors: S
authors: Karatas
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Halaskargazi caddesi, Etfal sokak, 34360, Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Arzu
authors: A
authors: Koc Bebek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013593:Syria / Q000208:ethnology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Maternal health; Obstetric outcome; Perinatal outcome; Syrian refugees