Small for Gestational Age Newborns in French Guiana: The Importance of Health Insurance for Prevention

• Published in: International journal of public health Vol. 69; p. 1606423
• Main Authors: Osei, Lindsay, Vignier, Nicolas, Nacher, Mathieu, Laumonnier, Juliette, Conan, Claude, Clarke, Loreinzia, Koivogui, Akoï, Covis, Sabrina, Valony, Luciano, Basurko, Célia, Wiedner-Papin, Solène, Prual, Alain, Cardoso, Thierry, Leneuve-Dorilas, Malika, Alcouffe, Leslie, Hcini, Najeh, Bernard, Stéphanie, Succo, Tiphanie, Vendittelli, Françoise, Elenga, Narcisse
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Fontiers Media 19-02-2024; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: Adult; Female; French Guiana; Gestational Age; Gynecology and obstetrics; health insurance; Human health and pathology; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Insurance, Health - statistics & numerical data; Life Sciences; Male; migrants; newborns; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; Santé publique et épidémiologie; small for gestational age; Young Adult; French Guiana; newborns; French Guiana; small for gestational age; health insurance; migrants; small for gestational age newborns French Guiana migrants health insurance
• ISSN: 1661-8564; 1661-8556; 1661-8564
• DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2024.1606423

Small for gestational age (SGA) newborns have a higher risk of poor outcomes. French Guiana (FG) is a territory in South America with poor living conditions. The objectives of this study were to describe risk factors associated with SGA newborns in FG.
: We used the birth cohort that compiles data from all pregnancies that ended in FG from 2013 to 2021. We analysed data of newborns born after 22 weeks of gestation and/or weighing more than 500 g and their mothers.
67,962 newborns were included. SGA newborns represented 11.7% of all newborns. Lack of health insurance was associated with SGA newborns (
< 0.001) whereas no difference was found between different types of health insurance and the proportion of SGA newborns (
= 0.86). Mothers aged less than 20 years (aOR = 1.65 [1.55-1.77]), from Haiti (aOR = 1.24 [1.11-1.39]) or Guyana (aOR = 1.30 [1.01-1.68]) and lack of health insurance (aOR = 1.24 [1.10-1.40]) were associated with SGA newborns.
Immigration and precariousness appear to be determinants of SGA newborns in FG. Other studies are needed to refine these results.