Comparison of pregnant Turkish women and Syrian refugees: Does living as a refugee have an unfavorable effect on pregnancy outcomes?

Abstract

Objective:To compare pregnant Turkish women and Syrian refugee women in terms of demographic data and obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Methods:In a retrospective study, the records of Turkish women and Syrian refugee women who gave birth at the Health Sciences examined. Maternal characteristics and obstetric and neonatal outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results:The study, which included 7950 Turkish women and 620 Syrian refugee women, found significant differences in maternal age according to nationality. The rate of normal delivery was significantly lower for the Turkish women at 51.6% (P=0.001) compared to 61.3% for the Syrian refugee women. The rate of delivery prior to 37 weeks of gestation was 1.8% for the Turkish women and 3.2% for the Syrian refugee women, indicating earlier delivery for the Syrian refugees than the Turkish women (P=0.017). A significant difference was found between the birth weights of infants born in the two groups (P=0.001).Conclusion: According to the study results, Syrian refugees have a higher rate of adolescent birth and low-birth-weight neonates which could be attributed to poor care and insufficient nutrition during pregnancy while living as a refugee in Turkey. K E Y W O R D S

Are Syrian refugees at high risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes? A comparison study in a tertiary center in Turkey

“…On the other hand, the rate of delivery by cesarean section and primary cesarean section were significantly higher in Turkish citizens in our study. In many studies in our country, it has been reported that cesarean section rates and primary cesarean rates are lower in Syrian refugees than Turkısh pregnant women 4,21,35 . This may be due to the referral of high‐risk patients to our tertiary hospital, as well as common medico‐legal problems related to Turkish pregnant women.…”

“…This is called “healthy migrant effect” 41 . In the literature, better perinatal outcomes have been reported among Vietnamese refugees in Norway and Australia 32–45 . In addition, the rate of LBW in Mexican immigrants is reported to be better in the United States than in the native population (Latino health paradox) 30 .…”

Comparison of Clinical Characteristics and Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes Between Turkish Citizens and Syrian Refugees with High-Risk Pregnancies

“…Additionally, while 3.1% of the babies of Syrian refugees had low birth weights, this rate was 7.7% among Turkish citizens; these rates were not significantly different. Although some Turkish studies in the literature support these findings [ 11 , 17 ], the available scientific evidence shows that being a refugee constitutes a disadvantage for neonatal weight [ 8 , 9 , 15 , 18 ]. The Republic of Turkey provides free health services to Syrian refugees and makes it easier for them to reach health resources.…”

“…The sample size was determined for key study objectives based on birth weight using OpenEpi with the following parameters: confidence interval (95% CI) 95%, power: 80%, ratio of Syrian/Turkish women: 1/3, mean birthweight TR : 3100 g, mean birthweight SY : 2900 g, and standard deviation: 500 based on research in the literature [ 9 , 14 , 15 ]. The sample size was a total of 277 high-risk pregnant women, with 213 Turkish citizens and 64 Syrian refugees.…”

“…Syrian refugees have free access to immigrant health centers and all hospitals, and these women can receive all pregnancy healthcare services free of charge in Turkey. They can also receive direct health services in their own languages at immigrant healthcare centers and with translation services at hospitals [ 15 ].…”