Objective: To evaluate perinatal outcomes in pregnant immigrant women and the influence of prenatal care attendance. Patients and methods: We performed a crosssectional, descriptive, case-series study of 1,874 Spanish women and 1,874 immigrant women divided into three groups: no prenatal care (0-1 visits), poor care (2-3 visits) and good care (4 or more visits). Variables related to prenatal care, pregnancy, delivery and neonatal outcomes were studied in each group. Results: Immigrants had poorer prenatal care, attended hospital at a later phase of labor, had lower use of epidural analgesia, and showed a higher mortality rate than Spanish-born women, which was related to the amount of prenatal care received. Conclusion: The poorer perinatal outcomes in immigrant women were related to the amount of prenatal care rather than to immigrant status alone.

Prenatal care Labor immigrants perinatal mortality Epidural analgesia

evaluation descriptive research immigrant newborn care epidural anesthesia prenatal care human controlled study cross-sectional study female prenatal mortality pregnancy Article delivery major clinical study adult outcome assessment pregnant woman hospital labor