Immigrant Mother and Her Child

The health risks of 1,164 immigrant Asian mothers and their babies in Bradford were compared with those of an indigenous group from obstetric data collected between 1965 and 1969. The average number of children for families in each group in 1969 were 3·31 and 2·33, respectively; 43·9% of 2,206 Asian mothers delivered in 1968-9 had less than a one-year interval between pregnancies. In 1965 the perinatal mortality rates for the two groups were 48·6 and 26·6, respectively, whereas in 1969 the corresponding figures were 26·8 and 25·5, respectively. Though the risks to maternal and child health of Asians are greater, Asian families are more stable and their children have a more secure upbringing than non-Asian children. However, Asian children need increased environmental stimulus in early childhood to prevent educational disadvantages at a later age.