Objective To compare fetal and infant mortality between immigrant and native-born mothers in Flanders, Belgium. Methods In a population-based study, data from 326 166 neonatal deliveries, collected by the Study Center for Perinatal Epidemiology and the Belgian Civil Birth Registration system between January 2004 and December 2008, were analyzed. Immigrant mothers were defined as women born in any country other than Belgium, and were grouped by country of origin according to the World Bank Atlas definition of low-, middle-, and high-income countries. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to evaluate the association between immigration and fetal/infant outcome. Results In univariate analysis, fetal and infant mortality rates were significantly higher among immigrants than among native-born mothers (fetal: crude OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.29-1.75; infant: crude OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.29-1.67). Fetal/infant death rates were highest among mothers originating from low-income countries. In multivariate analysis, however, most differences became non-significant: only the early neonatal death rate remained significantly higher (adjusted OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.06-1.60), whereas the fetal death rate appeared lower (adjusted OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.57-0.80), among immigrant mothers. Conclusion After adjustment for relevant characteristics, fetal/infant mortality was comparable between immigrant women and native-born women in Flanders. © 2013 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Migration Fetal and infant mortality Perinatal health

immigrant lowest income group indigenous people human immigration priority journal comparative study fetus mortality Young Adult income Humans labor induction Infant, Newborn Emigrants and Immigrants male female Infant pregnancy Belgium Article pregnancy outcome adult human experiment migration live birth Infant Mortality vaginal delivery Fetal and infant mortality stillbirth Perinatal health fetus death Fetal Mortality fetal well being gestational age newborn death