Mon, Nov 03, 2003 page4

• Skinny immigrant babies spark fears

  HEALTH HAZARD More than 40 percent of babies born to Vietnamese mothers weigh less than the accepted standard, which could lead to serious complications

  • By Joy Su / STAFF REPORTER
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  A recent study indicates that babies born to immigrant mothers from Vietnam are more likely to be underweight than those born to Taiwanese mothers.

  According to records collected from 1998 to 2002, roughly 30 percent of babies born to Taiwanese mothers weighed less than 3kg, while the corresponding figure was more than 40 percent for babies born to Vietnamese mothers.

  The study, conducted by Chang Jung University, shows that more than seven percent of babies born to Vietnamese foreign brides weighed less than 2.5kg, which is considered the standard for a healthy birth weight, about twice as many as the number of babies born to Taiwanese mothers.

  "Newborns weighing less than 2,500 grams at birth face a number of possible complications to the brain, the respiratory system and the baby's general development. It is important to continue with check-ups on the child's language development and to test that all five senses are functioning properly for at least three years," said Liao Hsueh-chen (廖雪貞), Dean of Women's Services at the Lung Shan Women's Center.

  Lin Mei-huei (林美惠) examined the possible causes of the high incidence of underweight births amongst foreign brides.

  "One possible explanation is that foreign brides get married earlier and consequently give birth at a younger age," she said.

  Indeed, according to the Ministry of the Interior's records from last year, Taiwanese women get married at an average age of 28 while immigrants from Southeast Asia get married around the age of 23. In addition, only five percent of Taiwanese women marry between the ages of 15 and 19, compared with 32 percent of immigrants from Southeast Asia.

  Liao said it is unlikely that giving birth at a younger age would have a substantial physical impact on a newborn's weight, stating that the influence of a mother's age has more to do with their understanding of how to take care of their baby.

  "Young mothers are more likely to be unaware of certain health hazards or how to look after a baby," said Liao.

  Language barriers are also an added burden for foreign mothers. Lu Huei-hsuan (呂惠萱) of the Social Welfare Foundation said: "Many of these women are unaware of certain benefits they are entitled to under the National Health Insurance plan. Furthermore, most can't read informational material that they are given during pregnancy."

  Liao said that more education is necessary to allow foreign brides to take advantage of health benefits. The Ministry of the Interior's records indicate that last year only 1.7 percent of women's educational outreach programs were geared towards foreign brides.

  In addition, Lin's research found that 92 percent of Vietnamese brides received prenatal care at Taiwanese clinics, with only 8 percent going to hospitals. At the same time, about 68 percent of Taiwanese women went to clinics.

  "Although it is hard to say whether clinics or hospitals provide better care, it is generally true that a hospital has more resources in the event of an emergency," Liao said.

  Economic factors also have an influence on the health of a newborn, Lu said.

  "Although there is no absolute correlation between a baby's weight and the family's economic situation, it does have some influence. Most foreign brides come from a lower middle class economic background, which could also contribute to the lower birth weight of the babies," Lu said.
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