Neonatal outcomes in Syrian and other refugees treated in a tertiary hospital in Turkey

Turkey accepts refugees from many countries, principally Syria. More than 2.7 million refugees live in Turkey.We evaluated the neonatal outcomes of refugees.

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and demographic characteristics of refugee infants born in our hospital between August 2013 and September 2016.

Refugees (718 Syrian, 136 Iraqi, 32 Afghani, and 21 of other nationalities) accounted for 907 of 49,413 births. The mean refugee maternal age was lower than that of Turkish women, whereas the gestational age (GA) and birthweight were similar. Refugees required fewer cesarean sections but exhibited greater small- and large-for-GA rates (P < 0.05). Refugee and Turkish infant mortality rates did not differ significantly (0.8 vs. 0.4%). Eighty-nine (12.3%) refugee neonates and 6682 (13.5%) Turkish neonates were admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Jaundice and perinatal asphyxia were significantly more common in refugees, whereas respiratory distress syndrome, GA ≤32 weeks, and infant birthweight <2000 g were more common in Turkish infants. The total NICU admission cost of approximately 450,000 USD was paid by the Turkish government.

The numbers of refugees and refugee births continue to grow. The Turkish people and government have provided medical, social, and economic support to date; international assistance is needed.