Abstract
BackgroundNatural disasters increase the level population stress, including pregnant women, who can experience prenatal maternal stress, affecting the fetus and triggering perinatal complications, such as low birth weight, smaller head circumference, etc. However, little is known about effects of earthquake on perinatal outcomes.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of earthquake occurred on February 27, 2010 and perinatal outcomes of Chilean pregnant women, and to examine these effects by timing of exposure during pregnancy and newborn gender.MethodsA register-based study was performed using data collected from women who had a vaginal delivery in a large private health center in Santiago, Chile, during 2009 and 2010. The study population was categorized according to exposure to earthquake and timing during gestation. Primary perinatal outcomes were gestational age at birth, birth weight, length and head circumference. Analyses adjusted for gender, gestational age at exposure, parity, maternal age and income.ResultsA total of 1,966 eligible vaginal deliveries occurred during 2009 and 2,110 in 2010. Birth weight was not affected by the trimester of exposure; however, length, head circumference and gestational age at birth were significantly different according to trimester of exposure and gender of newborn. In multivariable analysis, newborns were shorter by 2 mm, 5 mm and 4.5 mm, if they were exposed during their first, second and third trimester, respectively. Furthermore, newborns had a smaller head circumference by 1.2 mm and 1.5 mm if they were exposed during first and second trimester of gestation.ConclusionIn this cohort, exposure to the February 2010 earthquake resulted in earlier delivery and reduced length and head circumference in the offspring. This association varied according to trimester of exposure and fetal gender. Health workers should include exposed to high levels of stress associated with natural disasters when assessing pregnancy risk factors.
Highlights
The landmass on which Chile is located is highly seismically active
Birth weight was not affected by the trimester of exposure; length, head circumference and gestational age at birth were significantly different according to trimester of exposure and gender of newborn
Exposure to the February 2010 earthquake resulted in earlier delivery and reduced length and head circumference in the offspring
Summary
The landmass on which Chile is located is highly seismically active. As a result, the country has experienced some of the world’s largest earthquakes. On February 27, 2010, a strong earthquake occurred 500 km south of Santiago with a magnitude of VIII on the Mercalli scale (8.8 Richter). This was the second strongest earthquake recorded in Chile [1] and the fifth largest ever recorded worldwide. It was followed twenty minutes later by a large tsunami, which flooded several coastal towns. Together, these natural disasters impacted the entire Chilean population, increasing hospital admissions for both acute medical and psychological conditions. Little is known about effects of earthquake on perinatal outcomes
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