Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on births: A university hospital experience

Abstract

Background/Aim: Many studies have focused on assessing the effects of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) on the general population, but insufficient data concerning the impact on vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, are available. The aim of this study was to compare the results of births before and during the pandemic in terms of maternal and newborn health and to determine the effect of the pandemic on such births. Methods: The population of this descriptive, retrospective cohort study consisted of women who gave birth in Sivas Cumhuriyet University Hospital Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic between 01.03.2019–31.08.2019 and 01.03.2020–31.08.2020. No sample selection was made. As birth characteristics, the total and average number of births per month, the week of birth, whether there was a preterm birth, and the mode of delivery were evaluated. Age, number of pregnancies and births were evaluated as maternal characteristics. The birth weight and height of the newborn, number of babies with low birth weight, presence of stillbirth, Apgar 0 and 5 minute scores, and birth complications were evaluated as birth outcomes. Countable data were expressed as numbers and percentages and measurement data as mean, standard deviation, and minimum and maximum values. Inter-period means were compared with the t-test, nominal data were compared with the chi-squared test, and P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: It was observed that a 22.1% increase in the number of births during the pandemic period (n = 685) occurred when compared with the pre-pandemic period (n = 561). The difference in the increase in the number of births in both periods was not statistically significant (P = 0.153). The birth patterns, gender of the newborns, and the birth rates, including low birth weights, were similar during both periods. Gravidity and parity averages and minimum–maximum values were similar in both periods. When the weeks of gestation at birth were compared, it was observed that births occurred in the months before the pandemic, on average, during earlier gestational weeks. The number of births with fetal anomalies and stillbirths were compared, and it was found that the number of cases seen in both periods were similar. Conclusion: In this study, the characteristics and results of the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods were found to be similar.