To describe social and economic inequalities in non-fatal pregnancy outcomes (low birth weight, preterm birth and small for gestational age births) in the neighbourhoods of the city of Barcelona (Spain), according to maternal age and maternal country of origin, between 1991 and 2005. A cross-sectional ecological study was carried out using the 38 neighbourhoods of Barcelona as the unit of analysis. The study population comprises the 192,921 live births to resident women aged 12-49 residing from 1991 to 2005. Information was gathered from births registry. Prevalence of low birth-weight, preterm birth and small for gestational age, was calculated for each of the 38 neighbourhoods of mothers' residence, stratifying results by maternal age and country of origin. The indicator of neighbourhood socioeconomic level was the unemployment rate. Quartile maps along with Spearman correlation coefficients and linear regression were performed between indicators. The present study reports socio-economic inequalities in pregancy outcomes among neighbourhoods in Barcelona (Spain): the more disadvantaged neighbourhoods have worse pregnancy outcomes (low birth weight, preterm birth and small for gestational age births) in all women age groups. These inequalities do not exist among immigrant women, and some groups of foreign mothers even have lower rates of low birth weight, pretem birth, and small for gestational age births than autochthonous women. The existing inequalities suggest that policy efforts to reduce these inequalities are not entirely successful and should focus on improving pregnancy and delivery care in less privileged women in a country with universal access to health care. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011.

maternal age Small for gestational age inequalities Preterm birth Low birth weight Immigration

urban population Maternal Age health disparity Health Status Disparities pregnancy complication Pregnancy Complications human middle aged statistics Premature Birth Confidence Intervals Statistics as Topic Cross-Sectional Studies Confidence interval Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans Adolescent Infant, Newborn Spain female risk factor Risk Factors newborn pregnancy Infant, Low Birth Weight prevalence Article low birth weight pregnancy outcome adult migration prematurity maternal welfare Emigration and Immigration social class gestational age Child