Abstract
ObjectiveAssess the association between prenatal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and preterm birth (PTB; delivery < 37 weeks gestation) and low birth weight (LBW; < 2500 g).MethodsPregnant individuals, > 18 years, were recruited in Canada and provided data through a web-based questionnaire. We analyzed data on persons recruited between 06/2020 and 08/2021 who completed questionnaires while pregnant and 2 months post-partum. Data on maternal sociodemographics, comorbidities, medication use, mental health (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, General Anxiety Disorder-7, stress), pandemic hardship (CONCEPTION—Assessment of Stress from COVID-19), and on gestational age at delivery and birth weight were self-reported. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated to quantify the association between PTB/LBW and maternal mental health.ResultsA total of 1265 and 1233 participants were included in the analyses of PTB and LBW, respectively. No associations were observed between PTB and prenatal mental health (depression [aOR 1.01, 95%CI 0.91–1.11], anxiety [aOR 1.04, 95%CI 0.93–1.17], stress [aOR 0.88, 95%CI 0.71–1.10], or hardship [aOR 1.00, 95%CI 0.96–1.04]) after adjusting for potential confounders. The risk of PTB was increased with non-white ethnicity/race (aOR 3.85, 95%CI 1.35–11.00), consistent with the literature. Similar findings were observed for LBW (depression [aOR 1.03, 95%CI 0.96–1.13], anxiety [aOR 1.05, 95%CI 0.95–1.17], COVID stress [aOR 0.92, 95%CI 0.77–1.09], or overall hardship [aOR 0.97, 95%CI 0.94–1.01]).ConclusionNo association was found between prenatal mental health nor hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of PTB or LBW. However, it is imperative to continue the follow-up of mothers and their offspring to detect long-term health problems early.
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