Birth Outcomes and Prenatal Care Use in the U.S. During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Autor: Lyu W; Department of Health Services Administration, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA., Wehby GL; Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.; Department of Economics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.; Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.; Public Policy Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.; National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) [Birth] 2024 Oct 11. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 11.
DOI: 10.1111/birt.12890
Abstrakt: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed substantial social and economic disruptions that may have had adverse effects on maternal and infant health. This study examines the changes in birth outcomes and prenatal care use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 compared to pre-pandemic years.
Methods: Data come from birth certificates from the U.S. Vital Statistics Natality Files. The analytical sample includes 18,678,327 births in the 50 states and Washington, DC between 2017 and 2021. An event study is employed to examine changes in multiple birth outcomes and prenatal care use over years adjusting for demographic/socioeconomic characteristics and state of residence.
Results: There were very small changes in birth outcomes during pandemic years in 2020 and 2021. Specifically, low birth weight odds were lower in 2020 (OR = 0.99; 95 CI: 0.98-0.99) but higher in 2021 (OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.03-1.04) compared to 2019. C-section odds were higher in 2021 (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.002-1.008) than in 2019. The mean number of prenatal visits in both 2020 and 2021 relative to 2019 was lower by about 0.3 visits (95% CI: -0.31 to -0.30 in 2021).
Conclusion: Overall, there is no evidence of broad pandemic effects on low birth weight and preterm birth in 2020-2021.
(© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
Externí odkaz: