Is the New Obstetrics Package for Nonlocal Pregnant Women Making a Change?

Abstract

Objectives: To determine whether the new obstetrics package for non-local pregnant women delivering in Hong Kong has had an impact on the local obstetric service and pregnancy outcomes.
Methods: This is a retrospective study based on delivery records of women who gave birth in Tuen Mun Hospital during two different periods. Records of 1713 non-booked pregnant women and 155 booked pregnant women who gave birth between March 2006 and February 2007, and 1297 booked pregnant women and 101 non-booked pregnant women who gave birth between August 2007 and July 2008 in Tuen Mun Hospital were reviewed.
Results: There was a significant drop in the number of non-local pregnant women delivering in our hospital (p<0.001) and there were more elective Caesarean sections (p<0001). Apart from more preterm deliveries (p<0.001) and low-birth-weight babies (p<0.05) in recent years, there was no signifificant change in pregnancy outcomes or admission to delivery times.
Conclusion: The package successfully reduced the number of non-local pregnant women delivering in Tuen Mun Hospital but did not improve pregnancy outcomes. A more comprehensive package is needed to improve their pregnancy outcomes.