Abstract
Introduction: Newborns represent a substantial proportion of pediatric emergency department visits, often for benign conditions. Migrant families may face structural barriers to accessing primary health care, which may lead to different patterns of emergency department use. This study aims to characterize pediatric emergency department use by newborns of migrant mothers and to compare it with that of newborns of non-migrant mothers.
Methods: Single-center, cross-sectional observational study conducted in a pediatric emergency department in a level II hospital in Portugal. Newborns aged ≤28 days were included. Data on demographic and perinatal characteristics, integration into scheduled care, reasons for admission, referral pathways, diagnoses, and clinical outcomes were collected. Comparisons were performed according to maternal migratory status.
Results: Single-center, cross-sectional observational study conducted in a level II pediatric emergency department in Portugal. Newborns aged ≤28 days were included. Data on demographic and perinatal characteristics, access to scheduled care, reasons for admission, referral pathways, diagnoses, and outcomes were collected and compared according to maternal migratory status.
Conclusion: Newborns of migrant mothers more often attended the pediatric emergency department for benign conditions and showed lower integration into scheduled care. These findings suggest that barriers to access and continuity of care shape distinct patterns of neonatal emergency department use, underscoring the need for early postnatal follow-up, improved access to primary care, and accessible guidance pathways such as the telephone triage lines.
|