LATEBREAKER
Perinatal & Pediatric
Immigrant-Specific Policies and Programs and Maternal, Perinatal, and Paediatric Outcomes: A Scoping Review Rina Lall* Rina Lall Seungmi Yang
Background: Immigrants often face barriers in accessing healthcare and other essential services. These barriers during pregnancy and childhood may lead to adverse outcomes. Policies and support programs in receiving countries play a significant role in shaping the experiences of migrants and potentially affect outcomes among immigrant mothers and their infants. We sought to synthesize and appraise the current peer-reviewed literature on the impacts of immigration policies and programs to better understand the scope and benefits of specific policies and support programs on the health and development of immigrant mothers and their children.
Methods: Six databases (Scopus, Embase, Medline, Global Health Database, CINAHL, and the Public Health Database) were systematically searched using applicable keywords and subject headings for immigration, policy/program, and maternal/perinatal/paediatric outcomes. A total of 10,100 studies published in English from inception through October 2022 were identified, and 51 met our inclusion criteria.
Results: Overall, eligible studies examined periods ranging from 1980 – 2019. Paediatric outcomes were examined more (n = 37) than maternal or perinatal outcomes (n = 27), and 84% of studies focused on the immigrant receiving context specific to North America. Quasi-experimental methods were employed in 66% of studies. Commonly assessed paediatric outcomes included health insurance (38%), education (22%), and mental health (14%). Less restrictive policies (e.g., the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) were associated with positive educational outcomes for recipients and their children. Restrictive policies that tightened eligibility for public health insurance programs, or increased immigration enforcement had negative impacts on the health insurance and healthcare access of immigrant children, but the magnitude of these effects varied. For maternal outcomes, 56% of studies reported birth outcomes and 30% addressed perinatal care. Restrictive policies reduced adequate prenatal care usage among migrant women.
Conclusion: Research on the impact of immigrant-specific policies and programs on maternal and child outcomes is limited in scope, focusing mainly on immigrant receiving countries in North America.