Abstract
Objective: To observe the incidence of antenatal risk-factors and adverse maternal outcome in women of East Timorese origin within a UK population.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study assessed a sample of women of East Timorese Origin (N = 42) attending UK maternity services from 01/2011 to 09/2012 compared to a control group of a standard UK maternity population (N = 7210). Data on the rate of pregnancy related risk-factors and complications were obtained from a computerized patient note database (NIMATS).
Results: The East Timorese were at significant risk antenatally of anaemia (OR 19.5 (95% CI 10.2–37.2) (p < 0.001)), gestational diabetes (OR 10.6 (95% CI 4.6–24.4) (p < 0.001)) and hypertension in pregnancy (OR 4.6 (95% CI 1.4–15.3) (p < 0.01)) as well as late booking for care (OR 19.5 (95% CI 10.2–37.2) p < 0.001). In terms of post-partum complications there was a significant risk of admission to the intensive-care unit (OR 20.0 (95% CI 4.5–89.0) p < 0.001) and of postpartum hemorrhage (OR 15.9 (95% CI 7.7–33.0) p < 0.001). In 72 documented occasions an interpreter could not be obtained.
Conclusions: Women from East Timor are a high-risk ethnic minority who, with added risk-factors of late booking and difficulty in obtaining interpreters are at greater risk of complications in pregnancy and the puerperium.
Acknowledgements
Authors thank Dr Mary Higgins, UCD Obstetrics and Gynecology, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no declarations of interest