Obstetrical Outcomes among Non-local Chinese Pregnant Women in Hong Kong

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the maternal and fetal obstetrical outcomes of local (Hong Kong) and non-local Chinese pregnant women giving birth between 2004 and 2006 at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Hong Kong.
Methods: This was a retrospective analysis using data from the computerised database (OBSCIS) of Princess Margaret Hospital from 2004 to 2006. Two distinct obstetric populations, local Chinese residents and non-local Chinese from mainland China, were compared for any differences in maternal and fetal outcomes. Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS package. Continuous variables were analysed using Student’s t-test, and categorical variables by Chi-square tests. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Compared to the local Chinese population, the pregnant women from mainland China were younger, of lower parity, and had less pre-existing medical problems. However, they had a higher chance of unplanned vaginal breech delivery, severe hypertensive disease in pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, delivering before arrival to hospital, and giving birth post-term (≥42 weeks). Neonatal complications including pre-term birth, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths were also more frequent among the non-local Chinese pregnant women.
Conclusion: To prevent avoidable obstetrics complications among the increasing numbers of non-local Chinese women giving birth in Hong Kong, the importance of regular antenatal care needs emphasis.