Objective: To assess the frequency of deprivation in pregnant women and estimate the associated medical risks.
Material: and methods. A retrospective study of the hospital's computerised data (6149 women) and two prospective studies with health staff (n=534) and social workers (n=85) in two maternity hospitals.
Results: In the retrospective study, 17.5% of mothers were deprived. Deprivation was associated both with more difficulties during pregnancy and the perinatal period and with longer hospital stays. The prospective studies confirmed the prevalence of deprivation and gave a more detailed idea of the associated social and demographic characteristics. Deprivation was related with a combination of risk factors with a particularly important influence of economic risk. A quarter of deprived mothers had unwanted pregnancies and according to the social workers approximately 10% of them were not in a position to take care of their baby.
Conclusion: This study emphasizes the importance of deprivation as a perinatal medical risk factor. Screening should take place in early pregnancy in order to find the best way to help such families.