Birth Tourism Is Associated with Fewer Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Admissions: A Healthy Migrant Effect?

OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to study perinatal, maternal, and neonatal characteristics of birth tourism (BT) mother-baby dyads and the rate of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions of BT infants. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study at a regional perinatal center comparing BT mother-baby dyads to all dyads. BT infants admitted to the NICU were compared with a randomly selected group of infants admitted to the NICU during the same time period. RESULTS: A total of 1,755 BT dyads were identified over 4 years. BT mothers were older (32 vs. 28 years, p < 0.0001), more likely to carry multiples (5.5 vs. 1.4%, p < 0.0001), deliver via cesarean section (40 vs. 34%, p < 0.0001), and require postpartum intensive care (0.6 vs. 0.1%, p < 0.0001). BT infants had significantly fewer NICU admissions 96 (5.5%) versus 3,213 (11.3%; p < 0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences in NICU course and outcome between BT and non-BT control infants. CONCLUSION: Birth tourism is associated with unique determinants of health. In our study, there were fewer NICU admissions, potentially explained by the healthy migrant effect. KEY POINTS: · Birthright citizenship attracts foreigners to give birth in the United States.. · BT is associated with unique social determinants of health.. · Fewer NICU admissions in our study are possibly explained by the healthy migrant effect..

Perinatal Management of Bart's Hemoglobinopathy: Paradoxical Effects of Intrauterine, Transplacental, and Partial Exchange Transfusions.

We describe a fetus at 24 3/7 weeks' gestation that showed ultrasound evidence of anemia, hydrops, and severe growth restriction. Both parents were known to be cis heterozygous carriers for SEA α-thalassemia deletion (αα/-). Cordocentesis confirmed fetal anemia and homozygous α-thalassemia (-/-) in the fetus. Fetal intrauterine transfusions corrected the anemia, treated the hydrops, and improved fetal growth. The postnatal course was complicated by hypoxic respiratory failure and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, which resolved only after partial volume exchange transfusion. This case report is presented to point out the potential unintended outcomes with transplacental transfusion via delayed cord clamping and cord milking at delivery in the setting of congenital Bart's hemoglobinopathy, and demonstrates that partial exchange transfusion of the newborn may optimize oxygen delivery due to the more favorable oxygen affinity of transfused adult hemoglobin compared with the Bart's hemoglobin.