There is a long history of using data about ethnicity, country of birth or the cruder concept of 'race' in planning and providing maternity services. It would take time to dig out the references, but I think some early examples in Brent and Bradford are referenced in:
Parsons L, Macfarlane AJ, Golding J. Pregnancy, birth and maternity care. In: Ahmad W, ed. ‘Race’ and Health in Contemporary Britain. Open University Press 1993:51-75.
Ethnic origin was coded in child health systems in the late North East Thames region and data were extracted for analysis and use in service planning by Eva Alberman and Lisa Hilder.
The usefulness of the current ethnicity classification varies by ethnicity. For example Sri Lankans are invisible and for 'Black Africans', country of birth or origin is more useful, especially if looking at problems such as female genital mutiliation, which varies between different parts of Africa or preterm birth, which is much more common among West African women.
Nationally, use of country of birth in maternal death reports highlighted problems of migrant women back in the 1960s and 1970s and the late OPCS published a report on 'Immigrant mortality 1970-78', produced by three migrants, Abe Adelstein, Lak Bulusu and Michael Marmot. This drew attention to high mortality in some migrant groups.
Alison
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