Care-Related and Maternal Risk Factors Associated with the Antenatal Nondetection of Intrauterine Growth Restriction: A Case-Control Study from Bremen, Germany.

Objective. To identify care-related and maternal risk factors for the antenatal nondetection of IUGR. Methods. In this hospital-based case-control study we compared antenatally undetected IUGR neonates (cases) to detected IUGR neonates (controls). Data were collected using newborn documentation sheets and standardized personal interviews with the mothers. We calculated antenatal detection rates and used uni- and multivariable logistic regression models to assess the association of antenatal nondetection of IUGR and maternal and care-related factors. Results. A total of 161 neonates from three hospitals were included in the study. Suboptimal fetal growth was identified antenatally in n = 77 pregnancies while in n = 84 it was not detected antenatally (antenatal detection rate: 47.8%). Severity of IUGR, maternal complications, and a Doppler examination during the course of pregnancy were associated with IUGR detection. We did not find statistically significant differences regarding parental socioeconomic status and maternal migration background. Conclusions. In our study, about half of all pregnancies affected by suboptimal growth remained undetected. Future in-depth studies with larger study populations should further examine factors that could increase antenatal detection rates for IUGR.

Suicide among immigrants in Europe--a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Concerns about increased suicide risk among immigrants to European countries have been raised. We review the scientific literature on differences in suicide among immigrants compared with the majority populations in Europe's major immigration countries. METHODS: We searched the databases PubMed and PsycINFO for peer-reviewed epidemiological studies published in 1990-2011, which compared suicide risks of adult immigrant groups with the risks of the majority population in European countries. Hits were screened by two researchers. RESULTS: We included 24 studies in the review. No generalizable pattern of suicide among immigrants was found. Immigrants from countries in which suicide risks are particularly high, i.e. countries in Northern and Eastern Europe, experienced higher suicide rates relative to groups without migration background. Gender and age differences were observed. Young female immigrants from Turkey, East Africa and South Asia are a risk group. CONCLUSION: Immigrants 'bring along' their suicide risk, at least for the initial period they spend in the immigration country. Health-care planners and providers need to be aware of this 'imported risks'. However, most immigrant groups do not have an increased suicide risk relative to the local-born population; some may even experience substantially lower risks.

Care-related factors associated with antepartal diagnosis of intrauterine growth restriction: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal care is of core importance for maternal and child health and is therefore a central aspect of mother and child health care. One of the main goals of effective screening in antenatal care is the detection of suboptimal fetal growth. However, the sensitivity of antenatal diagnostic of suboptimal fetal growth (i.e. intrauterine growth restriction; IUGR) through clinical routine fetal ultrasonography has been observed to be low. A study conducted in Germany found that only 30% of IUGR cases and 40% of congenital malformations were diagnosed antenatally. Reasons for this low detection rate remain unclear. METHODS/DESIGN: In the first of two study components, all mothers who delivered or will deliver a small for gestational age (SGA) newborn in one of three hospitals in Bremen (Germany) during recruitment phase are eligible for inclusion in a hospital based case-control study. Cases are defined as neonates with an IUGR that was not detected antenatally, while controls are defined as neonates whose IUGR was identified or at least suspected antenatally. Data collection instruments include a newborn documentation sheet, a standardized, computer-assisted personal interview with mothers, and a copy of pregnancy record books. The second component is a survey among all private practice-based gynecologists in the federal states of Bremen and Lower Saxony. The aim of this survey was to obtain detailed information e.g. on quality of ultrasonography equipment and examiner's ultrasonography experience and qualification level. DISCUSSION: To our knowledge, this is one of the few German studies explicitly addressing care-related as well as maternal-related factors influencing the (non-) detection of IUGR by conducting comprehensive interviews with mothers and private practice-based gynecologists. Over the last 15 years there have been substantial technological advances in ultrasonography equipment in gynecological practices; hence there is the need to evaluate whether the detection rates of IUGR in Germany are still as low as previously reported in the late 1990ies. Our study results will contribute to a better understanding of core risk factors for low early detection rates of intrauterine growth restrictions and may support quality development in this important health care sector.

Perinatal outcomes of immigrant women of Turkish, Middle Eastern and North African origin in Berlin, Germany: a comparison of two time periods.

PURPOSE: Publications based on data from perinatal health registries reported worse perinatal health outcomes among women of Turkish origin. The aim of this study was to compare the perinatal outcomes of women of German and Turkish origin in Berlin in two time periods and to analyze if the situation among the women of Turkish origin has improved over time. METHODS: Datasets of all singleton deliveries from Berlin hospitals for the time periods 1993-1997 (n = 144,600) and 2003-2007 (n = 147,559) were used. Incidence rates resp. prevalences of perinatal health outcomes were computed for women of German and a group of immigrant women mostly of Turkish origin stratified for 'parity' and 'having a partner'. Logistic regression models were computed to test for a change in the odds for adverse perinatal outcomes over time. RESULTS: The chances for adverse perinatal outcomes were decreasing in the later time period for most measures. For stillbirth, preterm birth and congenital malformations, no differences between women of Turkish and German origin could be found. Differences exist in the utilization of perinatal health care and in the risk for anemia. Among women of Turkish origin, the chance for being anemic is even higher in 2003-2007 compared to 1993-1997. CONCLUSIONS: The perinatal health measures of women of Turkish origin have improved over time. The lower utilization rates of antenatal health care could be the expression of barriers to access the health care for pregnant women with migration background as offered in Germany. A risk group which needs a special focus by health care providers are women without a partner, irrespective of their origin.

Migrant background and weight gain in early infancy: results from the German study sample of the IDEFICS study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine variations in infant weight gain between children of parents with and without migrant background and to investigate how these differences are explained by pre- and perinatal factors. METHODS: We used data on birth weight and weight at six months from well-child check-up books that were collected from a population-based German sample of children in the IDEFICS study (n = 1,287). We calculated unadjusted and adjusted means for weight z-scores at birth and six months later. We applied linear regression for change in weight z-score and we calculated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for rapid weight gain by logistic regression, adjusted for biological, social and behavioural factors. RESULTS: Weight z-scores for migrants and Germans differed slightly at birth, but were markedly increased for Turkish and Eastern European infants at age six months. Turkish infants showed the highest change in weight z-score during the first 6 months (ß = 0.35; 95% CI 0.14-0.56) and an increased probability of rapid weight gain compared with German infants. Examination of the joint effect of migrant and socioeconomic status (SES) showed the greatest change in weight z-scores in Turkish infants from middle SES families (ß = 0.77; 95% CI 0.40-1.14) and infants of parents from Eastern European countries with high SES (ß = 0.72; 95% CI 0.13-1.32). CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the hypothesis that migrant background is an independent risk factor for infant weight gain and suggest that the onset of health inequalities in overweight starts in early infancy.

Infant feeding practices and prevalence of obesity in eight European countries - the IDEFICS study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between exclusive breast-feeding and childhood overweight. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data are from the baseline survey of the longitudinal cohort study IDEFICS. Exclusive rather than partial breast-feeding is the focus of the study due to the theoretical relationship between exclusive breast-feeding and development of dietary self-regulation. Children's measured heights and weights were used to calculate weight status, while waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) and skinfold measures were examined as alternative indicators of adiposity and fat patterning. SETTING: Examination centres in eight European countries (Italy, Estonia, Cyprus, Belgium, Sweden, Hungary, Germany and Spain). SUBJECTS: The analysis included 14 726 children aged 2-9 years for whom early feeding practices were reported by parents in standardized questionnaires. RESULTS: After controlling for education, income and other potential confounders, breast-feeding exclusively for 4-6 months was protective of overweight (including obesity) when compared with children never exclusively breast-fed (OR = 0·73; 95 % CI 0·63, 0·85) across all measures of overweight. Exclusively breast-feeding for 6 months offered slightly more protection than for 4 and 5 months combined (OR = 0·71; 95 % CI 0·58, 0·85). The associations could not be explained by socio-economic characteristics or maternal overweight. CONCLUSIONS: This multi-country investigation indicated that exclusive breast-feeding for 4-6 months may confer protection against overweight in addition to other known benefits. There was no demonstrated benefit of exclusive breast-feeding for more than 6 months or combination feeding for any duration across all measures of overweight examined.

Stillbirth differences according to regions of origin: an analysis of the German perinatal database, 2004-2007.

BACKGROUND: Stillbirth is a sensitive indicator for access to, and quality of health care and social services in a society. If a particular population group e.g. migrants experiences higher rates of stillbirth, this might be an indication of social deprivation or barriers to health care. This study examines differences in risk of stillbirth for women of different regions of origin compared to women from Germany in order to identify high risk groups/target groups for prevention strategies. METHODS: We used the BQS dataset routinely compiled to examine perinatal outcomes in Germany nationwide. Participation of hospitals and completeness of data has been about 98% in recent years. Data on all live births and stillbirths were obtained for the period 2004 to 2007 (N = 2,670,048). We calculated crude and stratified mortality rates as well as corresponding relative mortality risks. RESULTS: A significantly elevated stillbirth rate was found for women from the Middle East and North Africa (incl. Turkey) (RR 1.34, CI 1.22-1.55). The risk was slightly attenuated for low SES. An elevated risk was also found for women from Asia (RR 1.18, CI 1.02-1.65) and from Mediterranean countries (RR 1.14, CI 0.93-1.28). No considerable differences either in use and timing of antenatal care or preterm birth and low birthweight were observed between migrant and non-migrant women. After stratification for light for gestational age, the relative risk of stillbirth for women from the Middle East/North Africa increased to 1.63 (95% CI 1.25-2.13). When adjusted for preterm births with low birthweight, women from Eastern Europe and the Middle East/North Africa experienced a 26% (43%) higher risk compared with women from Germany. CONCLUSIONS: We found differences in risk of stillbirth among women from Middle East/North Africa, especially in association with low SES and low birthweight for gestational age. Our findings suggest a need for developing and evaluating socially and culturally sensitive health promotion and prevention programmes for this group. The findings should also stimulate discussion about the quality and appropriateness of antenatal and perinatal care of pregnant women and newborns with migrant backgrounds.

Changes in smoking prevalence among first- and second-generation Turkish migrants in Germany - an analysis of the 2005 Microcensus.

BACKGROUND: Compared to the majority population of a host country, migrants tend to have different health risks and health behaviour. We have hypothesised that these differences diminish with time passed since migration. We tested this hypothesis by examining smoking behaviour among Turkish migrants and their children born in Germany (second-generation migrants), stratified by educational level and, for the first generation, length of residence. METHODS: We estimated the prevalence of smoking based on the representative 2005 Mikrozensus, an annual survey including 1% of Germany's households. The 2005 Microcensus was the first to provide information that makes it possible to differentiate between first- and second-generation Turkish migrants. In total, 12,288 Turkish migrants and 421,635 native-born Germans were included in our study. The unit non-response is generally low (about 6% in 2005) because participation in the Microcensus is obligatory. RESULTS: We found the prevalence of smoking in second-generation male Turkish migrants to be lower than in the first-generation group: 47.0% of first-generation Turkish migrants with a high level of education were smokers, in contrast to only 37.6% in the second generation. Within the German reference population, 29.9% were smokers. The percentage of Turkish women in our sample who smoked was generally smaller, but was not significantly lower in the second generation. In fact, the prevalence of smoking was highest among Turkish women of the second generation with a low level of education (40.9%), similar to younger second-generation German women with the same level of education. CONCLUSION: We present the first representative data on changes in the prevalence of a risk factor for many chronic diseases among Turkish migrants in Germany. Male Turkish migrants (with a high level of education) showed a decrease over the generations while smoking prevalences of female Turkish migrants increased. In the second generation, prevalences partly converged with those of the German reference population or were even higher. Our hypothesis - that migration can be interpreted as a "health transition" - was thus partly confirmed.