Perinatal health in the population of foreign origin in Finland

Abstract Background In 2023, births to parturients of foreign origin accounted for 17.3% of all births in Finland. Previous studies have shown that women of foreign origin face challenges in accessing information and services. The study aims to examine statistics about pregnancy and delivers on parturients of foreign origin, assess trends over time and compare them to Finnish origin parturients. Methods Data from the Finnish Medical Birth Register, covering all births in Finland from 2000 to 2023 (n = 1,132,561), were used. The register includes information on parturients throughout their pregnancy and on the children up to seven days of age. The data were supplemented with information on parturients’ origin and background country from the Finnish Population Register. Origin was categorized as: 1) Finnish origin, 2) born abroad with foreign origin (migrants), 3) born in Finland with foreign origin (second-generation migrants). Results Migrants had fewer maternity clinic visits than parturients of Finnish origin (mean 12.4 vs. 13.3 in 2023). In 2023, smoking during pregnancy was most common among second-generation migrants (13.1%) and first-generation migrants from Europe (10.2%). Historically, the pain relief during labour was less common for migrants (85.7% vs. 91.2% in 2010), especially those of African origin, but has since approached the levels of Finnish origin parturients. The number of Caesarean sections has increased in all groups and was slightly more common among migrants. The use of vacuum extractors was more common among those with a foreign origin. Conclusions We identified significant gaps in maternity service use and maternal health behaviours between migrants and Finnish origin parturients. These insights should inform the planning and development of health and social services to promote equity in care. Key messages • Migrants receive less pain relief during labour and have increased vacuum extractor use, necessitating culturally sensitive healthcare planning. • Migrant status is associated with adverse maternal health behaviours, including higher smoking rates and fewer maternity clinic visits, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.