[Hospital admission in newborns according to ethnicity and parents' country of origin in an urban area of Barcelona [Spain]]. / Ingreso hospitalario de los recién nacidos según el origen étnico y el país de procedencia de los progenitores en una área urbana de Barcelona.

OBJECTIVE: The birth rate in Spain has increased due to the continuous rise in the number of immigrants. Ethnic origin and socioeconomic position can be determining factors in differences in maternal and child health. The aim of the present study was to determine the possible existence of differences in neonatal diagnoses according to parental ethnic origin. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional study of all live newborns delivered in Hospital del Mar (Barcelona) between 2003 and 2005. The variables studied were risk of admission, diagnostic classes, and parental ethnic group. RESULTS: Of the 2118 newborns included in this study, 46.7% were of immigrant origin (mainly from Central and South America) and 6.4% were gypsies. More than 60% of the 1445 admitted newborns were included in the diagnostic class of risk or suspicion of infection. The risk of pregnancy with little or no prenatal care was higher in non-native and gypsy newborns (OR = 2.58; 95%CI: 1.76-3.77, and OR = 5.84; 95%CI: 3.45-9.90, respectively). The risk of low birth weight and maternal drug use were lower in non-native newborns (OR = 0.17; 95%CI: 0.03-0.90, and OR = 0.12; 95%CI: 0.03-0.44, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in non-native and gypsy newborns compared with native newborns are not due to imported or genetic diseases but are probably due to differences in the social and cultural environment during pregnancy. Preventive measures should be promoted and reinforced and access to and the quality of primary care should be improved in these mothers and their infants.

Ingreso hospitalario de los recién nacidos según el origen étnico y el país de procedencia de los progenitores en una área urbana de Barcelona / Hospital admission in newborns according to ethnicity and parents' country of origin in an urban area of Barcelona [Spain]

Objetivo: El aumento continuado de la inmigración ha ocasionadoun incremento de la natalidad a expensas de este grupode población. El origen étnico y el nivel socioeconómico puedenser factores que condicionen las diferencias de salud maternoinfantil.El objetivo fue conocer si hay diferencias en los diagnósticosneonatales según el origen étnico de los progenitores.Métodos: Estudio transversal retrospectivo de los recién nacidosvivos en el Hospital del Mar (Barcelona) entre 2003 y2005. Las variables estudiadas fueron: riesgo de ingresar, categoríasdiagnósticas y grupo étnico de los progenitores.Resultados: El 46,7% de los 2.118 recién nacidos eran inmigrantes(mayoritariamente de Centroamérica y Sudamérica)y el 6,4% gitanos. En más del 60% de los 1.445 reciénnacidos ingresados, la categoría diagnóstica más frecuentefue el riesgo o la sospecha de infección. Los recién nacidosno autóctonos y gitanos tuvieron más riesgo de embarazo pocoo no controlado (odds ratio [OR] = 2,58; intervalo de confianzadel 95% [IC95%]: 1,76-3,77, y OR = 5,84; IC95%: 3,45-9,90,respectivamente). Los recién nacidos no autóctonos tuvieronmenos riesgo de bajo peso al nacimiento (OR = 0,17;IC95%: 0,03-0,90) y consumo materno de tóxicos (OR= 0,12; IC95%: 0,03-0,44).Conclusiones: Las diferencias en las categorías diagnósticasen los recién nacidos no autóctonos y gitanos, comparadoscon los autóctonos, no se deben a enfermedades importadaso a diferente carga genética, sino que posiblementeson consecuencia del entorno social y cultural de la gestante.Sería necesario reforzar y promover el uso de medidas preventivasde salud, así como mejorar el acceso y la calidad dela asistencia a estas mujeres y sus hijos(AU)

Objective: The birth rate in Spain has increased due to thecontinuous rise in the number of immigrants. Ethnic origin andsocioeconomic position can be determining factors in differencesin maternal and child health. The aim of the presentstudy was to determine the possible existence of differencesin neonatal diagnoses according to parental ethnic origin.Methods: We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional studyof all live newborns delivered in Hospital del Mar (Barcelona)between 2003 and 2005. The variables studied were risk ofadmission, diagnostic classes, and parental ethnic group.Results: Of the 2118 newborns included in this study, 46.7%were of immigrant origin (mainly from Central and South America)and 6.4% were gypsies. More than 60% of the 1445 admittednewborns were included in the diagnostic class of riskor suspicion of infection. The risk of pregnancy with little orno prenatal care was higher in non-native and gypsy newborns(OR = 2.58; 95%CI: 1.76-3.77, and OR = 5.84; 95%CI: 3.45-9.90, respectively). The risk of low birth weight and maternaldrug use were lower in non-native newborns (OR = 0.17;95%CI: 0.03-0.90, and OR = 0.12; 95%CI: 0.03-0.44, respectively).Conclusions: Differences in non-native and gypsy newbornscompared with native newborns are not due to imported orgenetic diseases but are probably due to differences in thesocial and cultural environment during pregnancy. Preventivemeasures should be promoted and reinforced and accessto and the quality of primary care should be improved in thesemothers and their infants(AU)