Pediatrics & Therapeutics
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0665
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0665
+44 1478 350008
Young Youn Choi, In Ji Hwang, Bo Ram Kim and Eun Song Song
Department of Pediatrics,Chonnam National University Children�s Hospital, Korea Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Pediatr Ther
Introduction: International marriages have been steadily increasing since the 1990s and began to increase rapidly after 2003 in Korea. The recent data by Statistics Korea 2016, the rate of multi-cultural family (MCF) marriage accounted for 7.7% of the total number of marriages. The health status and socioeconomic and cultural differences of immigrant pregnant women can affect the fetal and neonatal health. The aim of this study is to investigate the periodical changes of the rate of newborns of MCF with their perinatal risk factors and neonatal outcome who admitted to Chonnam National University Hospital for the past 15 years and to emphasize the role of women doctors in this field.
Methods: Medical records of newborns admitted to NICU between January 2001 and December 2015 were collected retrospectively. Study period was categorized into three periods: data from 2001 to 2005 was defined as period I, from 2006 to 2010 as period II and from 2011 to 2015 as period III. The clinical data of the rate of newborns of MCF with their perinatal risk factors and outcome were reviewed.
Results: Total 419 neonates were included (35 in period I, 159 in period II, and 225 in period III). Number and rate of newborns of MCF increased significantly. The most common nationality of the mother was Vietnamese. The trend of maternal nationality has been changed: Vietnamese significantly increased; and Japanese and Chinese decreased. Maternal age tended to be younger, while the age of their spouse increased, and the age gap between the couple became bigger. Both maternal and spousal education levels were lowest in phase III. The rates of multiple birth and congenital anomalies increased tendency from phase I to III. There were no statistical difference in overall morbidity and mortality.
Conclusion: Although there was no difference in overall neonatal morbidity and mortality in this study, the old paternal age and the different socio-educational level may have an impact on long-term prognosis of their children. As the number of MCF marriage increased, medical provider especially women doctors who works in the field of perinatal medicine includes obstetrician and pediatrician should have more scientific interest and attention to the MCF to improve their children’s health. Further prospective nationwide studies are needed.
Young Youn Choi has completed his PhD at the age of 29 years from Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea. She had been studied at Tokushima University, Kurume University in Japan, and Joint Program in Neonatology at Harvard Medical School in USA. She was the director of NICU of Chonnam National University Children’s Hospital and vice dean of Chonnam National University Medical School. She is a member of Korean Society of Pediatrics and of Korean Neonatology Society. She has published more than 80 papers in reputed journals and had been serving as an editorial board member of repute.
E-mail: yychoi@chonnam.ac.kr