Giving birth in rural Arctic Greenland results from an Eastern Greenlandic birth cohort

Abstract

Eastern Greenland is one of the most remote areas in the world. Approximately 3,500 people lives in two small towns and five villages. There is limited information on birth outcomes in Eastern Greenland. A cohort of all birthing women from Eastern Greenland from 2000 to 2017 was established and pregnancy, birth, and neonatal outcomes were described. A total of 1,344 women and 1,355 children were included in the cohort where 14.5% of the women were 18 years or younger, and 36.2% were single parents. Most women, 84.8% gave birth in East Greenland and 92.9%, experienced a vaginal, non-instrumental birth. The overall caesarean section rate was 6.5%. The rate of premature births was 10.1% and 2.2% of the children were born with malformations. The rate of premature births was high, preventive initiatives such as midwifery-led continuity of care including a stronger focus on the pregnant woman’s social and mental life situation may be recommended. Organisation of maternity services in East Greenland may benefit from a strong focus on public health, culture, and setting specific challenges, including the birth traditions of the society.

Envisioning an ecological systems theoretical approach to sexual and reproductive health programs in GreenlandMalory

“…The policy of referring women from outer towns and settlements to centralized locations for childbirth was implemented to improve poor perinatal mortality in Greenland. The policy reinforces the reliance on outside healthcare workers and institutions to support childbearing, though there are emerging opportunities to successfully integrate traditional midwifery to support women birthing in their home community (Houd et al 2022). Accounting for these unique chronosystem factors that affect SRH in Greenland, health programs rooted in ecological systems theory might integrate traditional Greenlandic cultural values that influence pregnancy outcomes by incorporating family members into clinical decisions and including family members in patient education (Ingemann et al 2018;.…”