Immigrants and non-citizens accounted for one in every four births in the United States, so reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Still, recent surveys show that even such a large number of pregnant immigrant women, the AMA research has found that there are still concerns regarding equal access to prenatal care with native-born citizens of the United States. Prenatal care is essential to parents’ and children’s health; inadequate prenatal care may result in chronic health problems.
The study assessed birth certificate data of over 6 million pregnancies in the United States of which 400,000 were from immigrant parents. Of which it was discovered that the immigrant parents were less behaved in early prenatal care compared to the U.S-born parents. Within a data subset focused on the Hispanic community, only 76% of pregnant Hispanic immigrants accessed timely prenatal care, in contrast to 81% of U.S.-born Hispanic parents.
Navigating the U.S. healthcare system can be challenging, especially for immigrants unfamiliar with its complexities. Even understanding how to find affordable health insurance options is difficult, and this lack of information often prevents immigrant families from accessing adequate healthcare. This issue is particularly problematic for low-income immigrants, as many government-funded healthcare programs and benefits, such as Medicaid, exclude non-citizens.
Another study explored how federal food-assistance program participation affects the birth weights of infants born to low-income immigrants. The findings showed that participation in these programs contributed to healthier birth weights. However, immigrant communities often hesitate to use such benefits due to confusion around eligibility and fear of impacting their immigration status.
This fear is partly due to the previous administration’s strict public charge policy, which made many immigrants avoid government programs out of concern that their use could negatively affect their immigration status. Though this policy has since been reversed, its effects persist, with many still worried about participating in programs that could benefit them and their families.
Expanding healthcare access and increasing support for prenatal care through targeted outreach would significantly benefit both immigrant families and their U.S.-born children. By addressing these persistent healthcare disparities, policymakers and healthcare providers can better support immigrant communities across the country, ultimately enhancing public health for everyone.
