Intestinal parasites and other infections during pregnancy in Southeast Asian refugees

An influx of Indochinese refugees into the Philadelphia area prompted a review of their reproductive performance as related to parasitic diseases and other infectious complications. A total of 100 infants were delivered of 97 women over an 18-month period (41 Vietnamese, 28 Laotian, 26 Cambodian, 2 Thai). Intestinal parasites were present in 65% of the mothers. Additional infections included 1 case of malaria, 1 of gonorrhea, 4 of syphilis, 5 of hepatitis B surface antigen and 12 of positive tuberculin (5-tuberculin-unit) skin tests. When comparing Southeast Asian gravidas with and without parasites, there were no significant differences between mean hemoglobin values, mean gestational age at delivery and mean birth weights of their infants. Although the Southeast Asian refugees had a high rate of infectious complications, they proved to have favorable pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.