Challenges newly-arrived migrant women in Montreal face when needing maternity care: Health care professionals' perspectives.

Background: People who leave their country of origin, or the country of habitual residence, to establish themselves permanently in another country are usually referred to as migrants. Over half of all births in Montreal, Canada are to migrant women. To understand healthcare professionals' attitudes towards migrants that could influence their delivery of care, our objective was to explore their perspectives of challenges newly-arrived migrant women from non-Western countries face when needing maternity care.

Mothering here and mothering there: international migration and postbirth mental health.

Over 125,000 women immigrate to Canada yearly-most in their childbearing years and many having given birth before immigrating. We sought to (1) examine the background characteristics and mental health profile of women separated from their children due to migration and subsequently giving birth in Canada ("dual-country (DC) mothers") and (2) contrast these with those of "non-dual-country" migrant mothers. Of 514 multiparous migrant women giving birth, one-fifth (18%) reported being separated from their children due to migration.

Risk factors and health profiles of recent migrant women who experienced violence associated with pregnancy.

Background: Violence associated with pregnancy is a major public health concern, but little is known about it in recent migrant women. This study looked at (1) risk factors for violence associated with pregnancy among newly arrived migrant women in Canada and (2) if those who experienced violence associated with pregnancy had a different health profile or use of healthcare services for themselves or their infants during pregnancy and up to 4 months postpartum compared to other childbearing migrant women.

Methods: Pregnant migrant women in Canada <5 years were recruited in 12 hospitals in 3 large cities between 2006 and 2009 and followed to 4 months postpartum.

Refugee claimant women and barriers to health and social services post-birth.

Objectives: Access to services for international migrants living in Canada is especially important during the postpartum period when additional health services and support are key to maternal and infant health. Recent studies found refugee claimant women to have a high number of postpartum health and social concerns that were not being addressed by the Canadian health care system. The current project aimed to gain greater understanding of the barriers these vulnerable migrant women face in accessing health and social services postpartum.