Obstetric and birthweight differences between Vietnam-born and Australian-born women

To measure the frequency of obstetrical complications and assess the outcome of pregnancies in Vietnam-born mothers; to compute birthweight percentile charts for their infants; and to compare these parameters in Vietnam-born women with those of a control group of Australian-born women.

A retrospective study of all pregnancies in Vietnam-born and Australian-born mothers managed in the Mercy Hospital for Women over a 10-year period, 1979-1988 inclusive.

The Mercy Hospital for Women provides primary and secondary obstetric care to public and private patients.

All women born in Australia or Vietnam who delivered in the Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne, over the 10-year period and their infants. Twins, stillborn babies and infants with congenital malformations were not included in the calculation of birthweight percentiles.

Gestational diabetes (7.3% v. 4.3%, P less than 0.0001) and low oestriol excretion (14.4% v. 10.8%, P less than 0.0001) were more common whereas essential hypertension (0.3% v. 1.2%, P less than 0.001) and pre eclampsia (3.7% v. 8.6%, P less than 0.0001) were less common among Vietnam-born mothers. Intervention for labour and delivery was less common among Vietnam-born mothers: induction of labour (7.1% v. 24.7%, P less than 0.0001) and forceps delivery (17.8% v. 21.9%, P less than 0.001); caesarean section rates were similar. Infants of Vietnam-born mothers were significantly lighter than those of Australian-born; percentile charts for birthweight and gestational age are presented.

Pregnancies among Vietnam-born women migrants in Australia were associated with few complications in spite of a higher incidence of gestational diabetes and a low oestriol excretion. The infants were lighter than those born to Australian-born mothers. Our percentile charts for birthweight relative to gestational age will provide a more accurate assessment of intrauterine growth for these infants.