Abstract
BackgroundBirth tourism refers to non-resident women giving birth in a country outside of their own in order to obtain citizenship and/or healthcare for their newborns. We undertook a study to determine the extent of birth tourism in Calgary, the characteristics and rationale of this population, and the financial impact on the healthcare system.MethodsA retrospective analysis of 102 women identified through a Central Triage system as birth tourists who delivered in Calgary between July 2019 and November 2020 was performed. Primary outcome measures were mode of delivery, length of hospital stay, complications or readmissions within 6 weeks for mother or baby, and NICU stay for baby.ResultsBirth Tourists were most commonly from Nigeria (24.5%). 77% of Birth Tourists stated that their primary reason to deliver their baby in Canada was for newborn Canadian citizenship. The average time from arrival in Calgary to the EDD was 87 days. Nine babies required stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and 3 required admission to a non NICU hospital ward in first 6 weeks of life, including 2 sets of twins. The overall amount owed to Alberta Health Services for hospital fees for this time period is approximately $694 000.00.ConclusionBirth Tourists remain a complex and poorly studied group. The process of Central Triage did help support providers in standardizing process and documentation while ensuring that communication was consistent. These findings provide preliminary data to guide targeted public health and policy interventions for this population.
Highlights
Birth tourism refers to non-resident women giving birth in a country outside of their own in order to obtain citizenship and/or healthcare for their newborns
Definitions Birth Tourism: the practice of non-residents of a country traveling to a new country with the intention to give birth in the new country
Birth Tourist: an Uninsured Prenatal Patient who is a non-resident who travels to a new country with the intention of giving birth there
Summary
Birth tourism refers to non-resident women giving birth in a country outside of their own in order to obtain citizenship and/or healthcare for their newborns. The term Birth Tourism refers to the practice of a country traveling to a new country to give birth there for a variety of personal reasons Such reasons may include: to obtain Citizenship for the infant in that country (jus soli); the notion that the costs of medical care are lower in that country compared to the individual’s home country; the perception that medical care in that country is safer; and potential access to public schooling, healthcare, and sponsorship of other family members in the future. Discussions regarding Birth Tourism have been more prominent globally [1]. This has been a relevant topic in the United States, Canada, and in Hong Kong. There is no legal requirement to capture this information nor is this information a prerequisite for a birth certificate [2]
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