Perinatal Outcomes Among Venezuelan Immigrants in Colombia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

In the last decade, Venezuela suffers a humanitarian crisis, leading to massive emigration. One of the most vulnerable migrants´ groups is pregnant women. We analyzed the perinatal outcomes of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia and identified if migration was associated with perinatal outcomes. Birth data were obtained from the 2017 Colombian national birth registry (1085 births in migrants and 654,829 in Colombians). Logistic and linear regression models were used to identify the association between the demographic, obstetric and neonatal characteristics with premature birth (PB), low birth weight (LBW), 1-min, and 5-min Apgar score. Venezuelan were more likely to have newborns with LBW, lower Apgar scores at 1-min and 5-min in comparison to Colombians. Furthermore, a difference was observed in the low health insurance coverage and antenatal care visits among Venezuelan in comparison to natives. Access to health care services for the migrants is desirable for the improvement of perinatal health conditions.

Maternal Care and Pregnancy Outcomes of Venezuelan and Colombian Refugees

“…The excess of low birthweight identified among those of Venezuelans in our study is consistent with a study of Venezuelan refugees living in Colombia that analyzed birth registry data for 2016–2018 [ 21 ] and another based on the same data source for a single year (2017) [ 20 ]. The excess in preterm births identified for babies born to Venezuelans in our study also is consistent with the aforementioned 2016–2018 Colombian birth registry study [ 21 ] but differs from the single year study reporting a lack of association [ 20 ]. The lower 1- and 5-minute Apgar score odds identified for infants born to Venezuelan immigrants concurs with those reported by the single year Colombian birth registry study [ 20 ] but not that of the multiyear study [ 21 ].…”

“…The excess in preterm births identified for babies born to Venezuelans in our study also is consistent with the aforementioned 2016–2018 Colombian birth registry study [ 21 ] but differs from the single year study reporting a lack of association [ 20 ]. The lower 1- and 5-minute Apgar score odds identified for infants born to Venezuelan immigrants concurs with those reported by the single year Colombian birth registry study [ 20 ] but not that of the multiyear study [ 21 ]. The generally poorer birth outcomes identified for infants born to the immigrant mothers in our study has clinical and public health importance since those born too early or too small are at-risk for perinatal morbidity and mortality, postnatal growth and development perturbations, and future development of obesity, cardiometabolic and other chronic diseases, and premature mortality [ 36 – 39 ].…”

“…Few studies have reported on the maternal care and birth outcomes of pregnant Venezuelan refugees living in South American host countries and none have done so for Colombian refugees. These limited findings suggest that Venezuelan refugees giving birth in either Brazil [ 18 , 19 ] or Colombia [ 20 , 21 ] tend to have limited prenatal care and often deliver by Cesarean-section (C-section) [ 18 – 20 ]. Two Colombian studies also reported that low birth weight was more prevalent among the infants of Venezuelan refugees than local country nationals but disagreed with respect to preterm births and low Apgar scores [ 20 , 21 ].…”

“…These limited findings suggest that Venezuelan refugees giving birth in either Brazil [ 18 , 19 ] or Colombia [ 20 , 21 ] tend to have limited prenatal care and often deliver by Cesarean-section (C-section) [ 18 – 20 ]. Two Colombian studies also reported that low birth weight was more prevalent among the infants of Venezuelan refugees than local country nationals but disagreed with respect to preterm births and low Apgar scores [ 20 , 21 ]. Examination of the specific maternal care challenges and infant birth outcomes of Venezuelan and Colombian immigrants, including those who are refugees, living in Latin American host countries and other immigrants has practical value for informing public health policy and interventions to improve maternal-child outcomes.…”

Perceptions of Health Needs among Venezuelan Women Crossing the Border in Northern Chile during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Women also reported needing access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, while reporting very limited access during transit and barriers to access while in Chile. Although women’s health should not be reduced merely to maternal health, it is an important dimension considering the fact that many women migrate while pregnant, as reported mainly by the stakeholders interviewed, who have seen an increase in pregnancies among recently arrived women migrants, a phenomenon also reported in the existing literature [ 83 , 84 ]. Another study conducted in Brazil, with Venezuelan women facing similar conditions to the ones included in our study [ 36 ], showed the consequences of not approaching the promotion of sexual and reproductive health from a human rights perspective, in terms of the maternal health of women migrants facing migratory irregularity.…”