Maternal Mortality Among Immigrant Women in Europe and the USA: a Systematic Review

Abstract

The aim of this systematic literature review was to analyse the differences in maternal mortality in immigrant women in European countries and in the USA with respect to native-born women. We performed a literature search in PubMed and EMBASE and reviewed those papers that analysed this perinatal outcome between the native-born and foreign-born populations in these countries. The initial number of articles identified was 172 in PubMed and 159 in EMBASE. Fifteen articles were included in the review after applying the exclusion criteria. In most of the publications, maternal mortality was statistically higher in the groups of pregnant foreigners with respect to that in the native population. Maternal mortality is an important public health burden. We should implement epidemiological systems and further research to monitor and analyse social and demographic factors that have an important impact on the perinatal prognosis of pregnant women.

Fostering Collective Approaches in Supporting Perinatal Mental Healthcare Access for Migrant Women: A Participatory Health Research Study

“…The findings of this study mirror those of others that report on migrant women's hesitancy in seeking help [5,22], their unfamiliarity with healthcare systems and services [27] and the difficulties women from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds experience when accessing healthcare services [25,39]. This study adds to this body of knowledge as it explores solution-focused strategies from the collective perspectives of a range of stakeholders that encourage a whole-system approach to supporting migrant women experiencing perinatal mental illness.…”

“…The international evidence acknowledges that migrant women have poorer maternal health and are generally slower at engaging with maternal healthcare services, thus highlighting the importance of focusing attention on encouraging engagement with services and supports [21,22]. A clear focus needs to address the persistent and systematic barriers to accessing perinatal mental healthcare for migrant women [23][24][25][26].…”

Service User and Service Provider Perceptions of Enablers and Barriers for Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Women Accessing and Engaging with Perinatal Mental Health Care Services in the WHO European Region: A Scoping Review Protocol

“…However, a recent scoping review examining the broad provision and access to general health care for refugees and migrants in Europe reported continued inequalities with access to services and unmet health care needs [ 4 ]. In particular, the high rates of maternal mortality in Europe among refugee and asylum-seeking women is a growing concern [ 5 , 6 ]. As evidenced by a recent review of systematic reviews on maternal care, there is growing evidence illuminating deficits in maternal care resulting in adverse pregnancy outcomes among women with asylum-seeking or refugee status [ 7 ].…”