Infant mortality among immigrants is 60% higher than among Italian families

MONTESILVANO (Pescara-DIRE Agency) – Infant mortality in immigrant families is 60% higher (with peaks of 65% in southern Italy) compared to families of Italian parents. The professor’s masterly reading began from these impressive numbers, based on Istat data Mario De Curtis, professor of Pediatrics at La Sapienza University of Rome, at the congress Simmesn (Italian Society for the Study of Hereditary Metabolic Diseases and Newborn Screening) currently taking place in Montesilvano. In his speech, entitled ‘Inequalities and the health of migrant children‘, De Curtis recalled that minors with non-Italian citizenship living in Italy are around one million, and represent 11.2% of residents between 0 and 17 years old.

75% of minors from immigrant families were born in Italy. In the 2020-2021 school year, students with non-Italian citizenship in Italian schools were 865,388, equal to 10.3% of the total students, and over 75% of minors with a migratory background were born in Italy. In 2022, the number of children born to both foreign parents was 53,079, equal to 13.5% of all births. Also considering those born to a single foreign parent (29,137), the total reaches 21% of all births.

The demographic support that comes from immigration. Relevant numbers, which allow the teacher to explain that “immigration provides important demographic support to Italy, with both short and long-term effects”. However, “these children, due to particular family and economic conditions, are often exposed to a greater risk of disease both in the prenatal and immediately postnatal period”.

The numbers on infant mortality among immigrants. Infant mortality, continues De Curtis, was 2.51 per thousand in 2020, being 60% higher in the children of foreign parents compared to those of Italian parents (Istat 2024 data). And foreign children residing in the South, compared to those residing in northern Italy, showed a 65% higher risk of infant mortality in 2020. “The increased risk of mortality and pathologies in these children – highlights the professor – is attributable to perinatal conditions linked to immigrant women.

The prevalent causes are:

– social, economic and cultural disadvantage;

– greater number of pregnant minors and single mothers;

– low family income;

– less guaranteed and more demanding work activities;

– inadequate nutrition;

– poor hygiene and housing conditions;

– late or inadequate obstetric and pediatric care.

Problems related to integration. Therefore, “integration problems linked to linguistic difficulties, lack of information on available services and fear of local authorities” remain, confirms the professor. In this context, therefore, the teacher added “a significant part of pre- and post-natal pathologies could be prevented with a more adequate organization of maternal and child care”.

It is crucial to support these families. Particular attention, considers De Curtis, “should be paid to improving socioeconomic conditions, since many children from immigrant families face economic and social difficulties. Supporting these families is therefore crucial to ensuring the well-being of children. A fair and supportive society cannot afford to neglect these children, many of whom live in fragile conditions. A concrete and tangible commitment on the part of the institutions is necessary – concludes the professor – to ensure that no child is left behind”.