This population-based study compares obstetric outcomes of first- and second-generation Pakistani immigrants and ethnic Norwegians who gave birth at the low-risk maternity ward in Baerum Hospital in Norway from 2006 to 2013. We hypothesized that second-generation Pakistani immigrants are more similar to the ethnic Norwegians because of increased acculturation. Outcome measures were labor onset, epidural analgesia, labor dystocia, episiotomy, vaginal/operative delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, preterm birth, birth weight, transfer to a neonatal intensive care unit, and neonatal jaundice. Compared to first-generation Pakistani immigrants, the second-generation reported more health issues before pregnancy, and they had a higher proportion of preterm births compared to Norwegians. Newborns of first-generation immigrants were more often transferred to a neonatal intensive care compared to Norwegian newborns. Few intergenerational differences in the obstetric outcomes were found between the two generations. A high prevalence of consanguinity in second-generation immigrants suggests the maintenance of a traditional Pakistani marriage pattern. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Immigrant Pakistan Low-risk maternity ward Intergeneration obstetric outcomes

Pakistan Dystocia Norway pregnancy complication Pregnancy Complications human epidemiology Premature Birth statistics and numerical data Labor, Obstetric ethnology neonatal intensive care unit Jaundice, Neonatal Humans migrant Infant, Newborn Emigrants and Immigrants Acculturation Socioeconomic Factors female risk factor Risk Factors newborn socioeconomics postpartum hemorrhage pregnancy cultural factor obstetric delivery newborn jaundice pregnancy outcome prematurity Birth Weight Delivery, Obstetric Analgesia, Epidural epidural analgesia labor Intensive Care Units, Neonatal