The Elusiveness of Life: Birth Outcomes Among Venezuelan Migrant Mothers in Colombia

Using Colombian Vital Statistics, this study compares birth outcomes between Venezuelan migrant mothers who recently resided in Venezuela and Colombian mothers following the death of Hugo Chávez. While rates of low birth weight are similar, Venezuelan migrants face significantly higher risks of pregnancy loss, with fetal deaths rising sharply relative to their Colombian counterparts. Key contributors include inadequate healthcare coverage, pregnancy-related conditions, and limited medical assistance during delivery. Although the data do not capture when migration occurred during pregnancy, most fetal deaths happen early in gestation, suggesting that these outcomes likely reflect in-utero exposure to deteriorating living and healthcare conditions in post-Chávez Venezuela, compounded by the stress of displacement. The findings highlight the critical role of prenatal care and living conditions in ensuring healthy pregnancies and underscore the need to look beyond live-birth outcomes when assessing infant health among vulnerable migrant populations.