Description
Background
Adequate access to healthcare in the first 1000 days of life is concurrent with lifelong well-being and should be guaranteed regardless of nationality, legal status, and social conditions. By exploring how migration status affects the social determinants of health, this review provides a nuanced understanding of the barriers and facilitators encountered by undocumented migrant women and their infants in the first 1000 days of life when accessing healthcare.
Methods
Following the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and the registration of the protocol on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42022328220), a literature search in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Scopus from 2000 to 2022 was performed.
Results
Of 1295 initial results, 45 studies met the inclusion criteria. Identified barriers of healthcare access in the first 1000 days include (1) legal barriers, such as the criminalization of migrants or the complexity of administrative procedures, and (2) socio-cultural barriers, such as inadequate health literacy and financial challenges. Additionally, ethical concerns were also mapped from the included papers. Facilitators that improved healthcare accessibility include (1) legal facilitators, like dedicated healthcare clinics, and (2) socio-cultural facilitators, such as language support and healthier lifestyle habits.
Conclusion
Considering the health consequences on future generations, the economic implications, and the vulnerability of pregnant (migrant) women, these findings offer facilitators that could be put into place to move more towards universal health coverage. Achieving this requires a holistic multidisciplinary approach that shifts from exclusion and criminalization to support and compassion.
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