[The use of free maternal preventive services among immigrant pregnant women in Denmark during 1983-1987].

As part of an investigation of immigrants' living conditions in Denmark, we have investigated how pregnant immigrant women utilize the possibility of free examinations during pregnancy. The study is based on data on all deliveries in Denmark in the years 1983-1987, retrieved from the Danish Medical Birth Registry concerning parturient women with permanent address in Denmark and who were born in either one of the Scandinavian countries, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Pakistan, Marocco, Iran of Vietnam. The women born outside Scandinavia gave birth to about 6,500 infants during the study period; roughly half of these were borne by Turkish women. The largest percentage of young parturients were found among women from Turkey and Yugoslavia. Pakistani and Maroccan mothers had higher parity. These two groups were especially concentrated in the municipality of Copenhagen, where half of the parturient women lived. A few lived in the remainder of the country while a total of 85% lived in the metropolitan area. Four out of ten pregnant Turkish or Pakistani women had been examined by a midwife less than the five times recommended. Among those living in the metropolitan area. Danish women have an average total of almost 11 examinations compared to 8.2-8.9 among immigrants. The conclusion of the study is that the immigrant women have less contact with the free antenatal care system during their pregnancies than the Scandinavian women and that the differences are greatest when examinations by the midwife were concerned. Further discussion on antenatal care in Denmark, is required.