Study of Characteristics of Pregnant Women Who Are Refugees and Aged Under 18 Years.

Abstract

Introduction In recent years, the refugee crisis has become one of the most serious problems. It is well-known that women, individuals aged under 18 years, and pregnant refugees are particularly vulnerable to adverse conditions. In this study, we aimed to determine the characteristics of pregnant refugee women aged under 18 years. Methodology Data for pregnant women were recorded prospectively from 2019 to 2021, and pregnant refugee women aged ≤18 years were enrolled in the study. Sociodemographic characteristics of women, gravidity and parity status, the status of regular antenatal care visits and antenatal care visit any time until birth, type of birth, causes for cesarean section, presence of maternal comorbidities, obstetric complications, and baby-related characteristics were recorded. Results A total of 134 pregnant refugees were enrolled in the study. A total of 31 (23.1%) women had completed primary school, and two (1.5%) women had completedmiddle school or high school. Additionally, only 3.7%of women had a regular job, and 64.2% of the refugees had a total family income below the minimum wage. Also, 10.4% of women lived with more than three people outside the nuclear family. Gravidity numbers were one for 65 (48.5%) women, two for 50 (37.3%) women, and more than two for 19 (14.2%) women, respectively. The proportion of women with regular antenatal care visits was 19.4% (26), and 45.5% (61) had irregular antenatal care visits. Anemia and urinary tract infections were detected in 52 (28.8%) patients and seven (5.2%) patients, respectively. The proportion of preterm delivery was 8.9%, and 10.5% of infants had low birth weight. A total of 16 (11.9%) babies required neonatal intensive care unit support. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that pregnant women who are refugees and aged under 18 years have low education levels, insufficient family income, and often live in crowded families and even as the second wife of a husband. Moreover, although the birth rate was high in pregnant refugees, the rate of regular antenatal follow-up was low. Finally, this study showed that maternal anemia, preterm birth, and low birth weight were common in pregnant refugees.