Care Received by Migrant Women Who Died During or After Pregnancy: A National Confidential Case Note Review

To co-produce a bespoke maternity care checklist for recently arrived migrant women in the UK. To use this to describe the maternity care received by recently arrived migrant women who died during or up to six weeks after pregnancy over the past decade in the UK, and generate hypotheses about areas for improvement.

Confidential national review of medical records.

Thirty-nine recently arrived pregnant or postnatal migrant women died in the UK between 2012 and 2021.

Maternal deaths amongst recently arrived migrant women were identified using UK Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity (MBRRACE-UK) data. A national case note review was conducted using a co-produced migrant maternity care checklist developed with input from service users.

Assessment against the migrant maternity care checklist.

Amongst those eligible for antenatal care, most (70%, n = 19/27) attended their first appointment after 13 weeks gestation. Amongst women needing an interpreter, 42% (n = 8/19) had professional interpreting services during antenatal care, 19% (n = 3/16) in intrapartum care, and 0% (n = 0/9) in postpartum care. Two fifths of women had documentation suggestive of discrimination or racism (41%, n = 16/39). Potential areas for improvement included access to formal interpreting services; access to first antenatal appointments before 13 weeks; and follow-up after non-attendance.

Results should be interpreted with caution given the small number of women included and the descriptive and hypothesis generating nature of this paper. However, this study identifies areas of care that are important to women and professionals and could be prioritised for further research and improved practice.