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Changes in preterm birth and stillbirth during COVID-19 lockdowns in 26 countries

Author

Listed:
  • Clara Calvert

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Meredith (Merilee) Brockway

    (University of Manitoba)

  • Helga Zoega

    (University of New South Wales Sydney
    University of Iceland)

  • Jessica E. Miller

    (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital
    University of Melbourne)

  • Jasper V. Been

    (University Medical Centre Rotterdam)

  • Adeladza Kofi Amegah

    (University of Cape Coast)

  • Amy Racine-Poon

    (Novartis)

  • Solmaz Eradat Oskoui

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Ishaya I. Abok

    (University of Jos/Jos University Teaching Hospital)

  • Nima Aghaeepour

    (Stanford University School of Medicine)

  • Christie D. Akwaowo

    (University of Uyo Teaching Hospital
    University of Uyo)

  • Belal N. Alshaikh

    (University of Calgary)

  • Adejumoke I. Ayede

    (College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and University College Hospital)

  • Fabiana Bacchini

    (Canadian Premature Babies Foundation)

  • Behzad Barekatain

    (Isfahan University of Medical Sciences)

  • Rodrigo Barnes

    (Aridhia Informatics)

  • Karolina Bebak

    (Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward, District Public Hospital in Poznań)

  • Anick Berard

    (University of Montreal
    CHU Ste-Justine
    Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1)

  • Zulfiqar A. Bhutta

    (The Aga Khan University
    Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children)

  • Jeffrey R. Brook

    (University of Toronto)

  • Lenroy R. Bryan

    (University of The West MonaIndies)

  • Kim N. Cajachagua-Torres

    (University Medical Center Rotterdam
    University Medical Center Rotterdam
    Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia)

  • Marsha Campbell-Yeo

    (Dalhousie University and IWK Health)

  • Dinh-Toi Chu

    (Vietnam National University)

  • Kristin L. Connor

    (Carleton University)

  • Luc Cornette

    (AZ St-Jan Bruges-Ostend AV Hospital)

  • Sandra Cortés

    (Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases Diagonal (ACCDIS))

  • Mandy Daly

    (Irish Neonatal Health Alliance)

  • Christian Debauche

    (Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, IREC, UCLouvain
    CEpiP (Centre d’Epidémiologie Périnatale))

  • Iyabode Olabisi F. Dedeke

    (Department of Paediatrics, Federal Medical Centre)

  • Kristjana Einarsdóttir

    (University of Iceland
    Curtin University)

  • Hilde Engjom

    (Department of Health Registry Research and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health)

  • Guadalupe Estrada-Gutierrez

    (National Institute of Perinatology)

  • Ilaria Fantasia

    (Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo Children’s Hospital)

  • Nicole M. Fiorentino

    (University of Manitoba)

  • Meredith Franklin

    (University of Toronto)

  • Abigail Fraser

    (University of Bristol)

  • Onesmus W. Gachuno

    (University of Nairobi)

  • Linda A. Gallo

    (The University of Queensland)

  • Mika Gissler

    (THL Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
    Academic Primary Health Care Centre, Region Stockholm
    Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet)

  • Siri E. Håberg

    (Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health)

  • Abbas Habibelahi

    (Neonatology, Neonatal Health Office, Ministry of Health and Medical Education)

  • Jonas Häggström

    (Cytel)

  • Lauren Hookham

    (St. George’s University, Makerere University - Johns Hopkins University Research Collaboration)

  • Lisa Hui

    (University of Melbourne)

  • Luis Huicho

    (Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia)

  • Karen J. Hunter

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Sayeeda Huq

    (Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, ICDDR,B (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh))

  • Ashish KC

    (Uppsala University)

  • Seilesh Kadambari

    (University of Oxford and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre)

  • Roya Kelishadi

    (Isfahan University of Medical Sciences)

  • Narjes Khalili

    (Iran University of Medical Sciences)

  • Joanna Kippen

    (Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward, District Public Hospital in Poznań)

  • Kirsty Doare

    (University of London
    Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Medical Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit)

  • Javier Llorca

    (Universidad de Cantabria
    CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health, en Epidemiología y Salud Pública))

  • Laura A. Magee

    (Institute of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King’s College London)

  • Maria C. Magnus

    (Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health)

  • Kenneth K. C. Man

    (University College London School of Pharmacy
    The University of Hong Kong
    Hong Kong Science Park)

  • Patrick M. Mburugu

    (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology)

  • Rishi P. Mediratta

    (Stanford University School of Medicine)

  • Andrew D. Morris

    (Health Data Research UK)

  • Nazeem Muhajarine

    (University of Saskatchewan)

  • Rachel H. Mulholland

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Livia Nagy Bonnard

    (Melletted a helyem Egyesület, Right(s) Beside You Association)

  • Victoria Nakibuuka

    (Department of Paediatrics, St. Francis Nsambya Hospital)

  • Natasha Nassar

    (University of Sydney)

  • Sylvester D. Nyadanu

    (Curtin University
    Education, Culture, and Health Opportunities (ECHO) Research Group International)

  • Laura Oakley

    (Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
    Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)

  • Adesina Oladokun

    (University of Ibadan and University College Hospital)

  • Oladapo O. Olayemi

    (University of Ibadan and University College Hospital)

  • Olanike A. Olutekunbi

    (Lagos Island Maternity Hospital)

  • Rosena O. Oluwafemi

    (Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Mother and Child Hospital)

  • Taofik O. Ogunkunle

    (Department of Paediatrics, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital)

  • Chris Orton

    (Swansea University)

  • Anne K. Örtqvist

    (Clinical Epidemiology Division, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet
    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Visby County Hospital)

  • Joseph Ouma

    (Makerere University - Johns Hopkins University Research Collaboration)

  • Oyejoke Oyapero

    (Paediatrics Department, Ikorodu General Hospital)

  • Kirsten R. Palmer

    (Monash University)

  • Lars H. Pedersen

    (Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital)

  • Gavin Pereira

    (Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
    Curtin University)

  • Isabel Pereyra

    (Catholic University del Maule)

  • Roy K. Philip

    (University Maternity Hospital Limerick and University of Limerick School of Medicine)

  • Dominik Pruski

    (Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward, District Public Hospital in Poznań)

  • Marcin Przybylski

    (Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward, District Public Hospital in Poznań)

  • Hugo G. Quezada-Pinedo

    (University Medical Center Rotterdam
    University Medical Center Rotterdam
    Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia)

  • Annette K. Regan

    (University of San Francisco)

  • Natasha R. Rhoda

    (University of Cape Town
    Mowbray Maternity Hospital, Western Cape Department of Health)

  • Tonia A. Rihs

    (Federal Statistical Office (FSO))

  • Taylor Riley

    (University of Washington)

  • Thiago Augusto Hernandes Rocha

    (Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health Department, Pan-American Health Organization - World Health Organization)

  • Daniel L. Rolnik

    (Monash University)

  • Christoph Saner

    (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital
    Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern
    University of Bern)

  • Francisco J. Schneuer

    (The University of Sydney)

  • Vivienne L. Souter

    (Foundation for Health Care Quality)

  • Olof Stephansson

    (Clinical Epidemiology Division, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet)

  • Shengzhi Sun

    (Boston University School of Public Health)

  • Emma M. Swift

    (University of Iceland)

  • Miklós Szabó

    (Semmelweis University)

  • Marleen Temmerman

    (Aga Khan University)

  • Lloyd Tooke

    (University of Cape Town)

  • Marcelo L. Urquia

    (University of Manitoba)

  • Peter Dadelszen

    (Institute of Women and Children’s Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King’s College London)

  • Gregory A. Wellenius

    (Boston University School of Public Health)

  • Clare Whitehead

    (University of Melbourne)

  • Ian C. K. Wong

    (University College London School of Pharmacy
    The University of Hong Kong
    Hong Kong Science Park)

  • Rachael Wood

    (University of Edinburgh
    Public Health Scotland)

  • Katarzyna Wróblewska-Seniuk

    (Poznań University of Medical Sciences)

  • Kojo Yeboah-Antwi

    (Public Health Unit, Father Thomas Alan Rooney Memorial Hospital, Asankrangwa)

  • Christopher S. Yilgwan

    (University of Jos)

  • Agnieszka Zawiejska

    (Poznań University of Medical Sciences)

  • Aziz Sheikh

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Natalie Rodriguez

    (University of Manitoba)

  • David Burgner

    (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital
    University of Melbourne)

  • Sarah J. Stock

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Meghan B. Azad

    (University of Manitoba
    University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)

Abstract

Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide. Changes in PTB rates, ranging from −90% to +30%, were reported in many countries following early COVID-19 pandemic response measures (‘lockdowns’). It is unclear whether this variation reflects real differences in lockdown impacts, or perhaps differences in stillbirth rates and/or study designs. Here we present interrupted time series and meta-analyses using harmonized data from 52 million births in 26 countries, 18 of which had representative population-based data, with overall PTB rates ranging from 6% to 12% and stillbirth ranging from 2.5 to 10.5 per 1,000 births. We show small reductions in PTB in the first (odds ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.95–0.98, P value

Suggested Citation

  • Clara Calvert & Meredith (Merilee) Brockway & Helga Zoega & Jessica E. Miller & Jasper V. Been & Adeladza Kofi Amegah & Amy Racine-Poon & Solmaz Eradat Oskoui & Ishaya I. Abok & Nima Aghaeepour & Chri, 2023. "Changes in preterm birth and stillbirth during COVID-19 lockdowns in 26 countries," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(4), pages 529-544, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:7:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1038_s41562-023-01522-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01522-y
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