High caesarean birth rates among migrant women living in high-income countries are of concern. Women from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia consistently show overall higher rates compared with non-migrant women, whereas women from Latin America and North Africa/Middle East consistently show higher rates of emergency caesarean. Higher rates are more common with emergency caesareans than with planned caesareans. Evidence regarding risk factors among migrant women for undergoing a caesarean birth is lacking. Research suggests that pathways leading to caesarean births in migrants are complex, and they are likely to involve a combination of factors related to migrant women's physical and psychological health, their social and cultural context and the quality of their maternity care. Migration factors, including length of time in receiving country and migration classification, have an influence on delivery outcome; however, their effects appear to differ by women's country/region of origin. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

caesarean practice guideline Migration Immigrant risk factors Refugee

maternal care Africa south of the Sahara developing country health disparity Health Status Disparities Developing Countries human statistics and numerical data Developed Countries priority journal maternal attitude language ethnology high income country Humans migrant Emigrants and Immigrants female risk factor Risk Factors pregnancy cultural factor Article delivery health care quality developed country Culturally Competent Care maternal welfare transcultural care body mass Healthcare Disparities practice guideline health care disparity cesarean section Health Services Accessibility labor health care delivery pregnancy diabetes mellitus