Objective: To study accurately the main characteristics of the newborns from immigrant couples in the Hospital Clínico "San Carlos", Madrid. Material and methods: 2,759 newborns from immigrant couples were studied. 264 of them were African, 2,008 American, 258 European and 229 Oriental. This population is statistically compared with 3,990 newborns from Spanish couples. We analyze: sex, gestational age, newborns vitality at birth, destiny of the newborns, type of lactation, metabolic and auditive screening, and adoption. Results: 52% of the children were male and 48% female. More than 50% primogenital. 3.91% of the children that stay with their mothers after birth were preterm; 93.72% were normal and 2.37% posterm births. African and Oriental showed more vitality at birth than the rest. Almost 94% were breast fed. The rest were formula fed. Every child went under metabolic and auditive screening. Hipoacusia was similar in both ears. European mothers show the highest percentage of children given in adoption, followed by Southamerican and Spanish mothers. Conclusions: Newborns from immigrant mothers have the same rights to sanitary aid as newborns from Spanish mothers, according to the Immigration Law. The more we know about the immigrant children and their background, the more we shall be able to assist them in order to guarantee their health.

neonatology Immigration Perinatal epidemiology Newborns from immigrant parents

immigrant lactation Europe immigration human Asia ethnic group adoption screening Breast Feeding United States male Spain female newborn Africa child health Article gestational age