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Bruckner TA, Huo S, Fresson J, Zeitlin J. Preterm births among male and female conception cohorts in France during initial COVID-19 societal restrictions. Ann Epidemiol 2024; 91:58-64. [PMID: 38280410 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2024.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE A recent meta-analysis finds reduced risk of preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks gestational age) during the initial stage of COVID-19 in which infection rates remained relatively low but many societies imposed restrictions on movement. None of this work, however, examines sex-specific responses despite much literature on other ambient "shocks" which would predict male sensitivity. We use a conception cohort approach to explore potential sex-specific PTB responses in France, a country which imposed a lockdown in Spring 2020. METHODS We applied interrupted time series methods using national data in France for 207 weeks among 1403,284 males and 1341,359 females conceived from 19 Jan 2016 to 6 Jan 2020. RESULTS For males in utero, the 1st COVID-19 societal lockdown corresponds with a - 0.60 per 100 conception reduction in PTB cases per week, for 12 consecutive weeks (95% confidence interval [CI]: -.36, -.84). For females in utero, the PTB reduction is smaller (-0.40 reduction per 100 conceptions, for 10 consecutive weeks, 95% CI: -.15, -.61). A formal test of sex differences in the PTB response indicates a stronger reduction in male (vs. female) PTB during the lockdown (p = .001). CONCLUSIONS Explanations for the counterintuitive reduction in PTB during COVID-19 among cohorts in utero during Spring 2020 should consider mechanisms that disproportionately affect males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim A Bruckner
- Center for Population, Inequality and Policy, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Program in Public Health University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | - Shutong Huo
- Program in Public Health University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jeanne Fresson
- Université de Paris, CRESS, Obstetrical Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology Research Team, EPOPé, INSERM, INRA, Paris, France; University Hospital (CHRU), Nancy, France, CRESS, Obstetrical Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology Research Team, EPOPé, INSERM, INRA, Paris, France
| | - Jennifer Zeitlin
- Université de Paris, CRESS, Obstetrical Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology Research Team, EPOPé, INSERM, INRA, Paris, France
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Eliason EL, Agostino J, Vivier P. Infant Health Care Disruptions by Race and Ethnicity, Income, and Insurance During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Acad Pediatr 2024; 24:105-110. [PMID: 37487800 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2023.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Research has found disruptions in pediatric care during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely exacerbating existing disparities, which has not been explored among infants. This study evaluated how infant health care was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic overall and by race and ethnicity, income, and insurance type. METHODS This cross-sectional study used the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System COVID-19 supplement with data from 29 jurisdictions to examine infant health care disruptions due to the pandemic: 1) well visits/checkups canceled or delayed, 2) well visits/checkups changed to virtual appointments, and 3) postponed immunizations. Unadjusted, weighted proportions of outcomes were calculated overall and by race and ethnicity, income, and insurance. We estimated multivariable odds ratios for the association between infant care disruptions and race and ethnicity, income, and insurance. RESULTS Overall, among 12,053 parental respondents with infants born from April to December 2020, 7.25% reported cancelations or delays in infant well visits/checkups, 5.49% reported changes to virtual infant care appointments, and 5.33% reported postponing immunizations, with significant differences by race and ethnicity, income, and insurance type. In adjusted analyses, we found higher odds of canceling/delaying visits and postponing immunizations among non-Hispanic Black infants and infants whose parents were uninsured or had Medicaid-paid deliveries. The odds of switching to virtual appointments were significantly higher among Hispanic infants and infants whose parents had Medicaid-paid deliveries. CONCLUSIONS Study findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic particularly affected infant health care for non-Hispanic Black infants and infants whose parents were uninsured or had Medicaid, with important implications for addressing infant health inequities and improving health outcomes in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L Eliason
- Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice (EL Eliason and J Agostino), Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI.
| | - Jasmine Agostino
- Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice (EL Eliason and J Agostino), Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI
| | - Patrick Vivier
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine (P Vivier), Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass
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Torche F, Nobles J. Vaccination, immunity, and the changing impact of COVID-19 on infant health. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2311573120. [PMID: 38011548 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311573120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In utero exposure to COVID-19 infection may lead to large intergenerational health effects. The impact of infection exposure has likely evolved since the onset of the pandemic as new variants emerge, immunity from prior infection increases, vaccines become available, and vaccine hesitancy persists, such that when infection is experienced is as important as whether it is experienced. We examine the changing impact of COVID-19 infection on preterm birth and the moderating role of vaccination. We offer the first plausibly causal estimate of the impact of maternal COVID-19 infection by using population data with no selectivity, universal information on maternal COVID-19 infection, and linked sibling data. We then assess change in this impact from 2020 to 2023 and evaluate the protective role of COVID-19 vaccination on infant health. We find a substantial adverse effect of prenatal COVID-19 infection on the probability of preterm birth. The impact was large during the first 2 y of the pandemic but had fully disappeared by 2022. The harmful impact of COVID-19 infection disappeared almost a year earlier in zip codes with high vaccination rates, suggesting that vaccines might have prevented thousands of preterm births. The findings highlight the need to monitor the changing consequences of emerging infectious diseases over time and the importance of mitigation strategies to reduce the burden of infection on vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Torche
- Department of Sociology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Jenna Nobles
- Department of Sociology, Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
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Popescu DE, Cerbu S, Rosca I, Lungu N, Trușculescu AA, Belengeanu V, Manea AM, Dima MA, Gorun F, Popa ZL, Crisan DC, Boia M. Comparative Analysis of Hematological and Biochemical Changes in Neonates among Women with and without COVID-19 Infection during Pregnancy. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1370. [PMID: 37628369 PMCID: PMC10453899 DOI: 10.3390/children10081370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to evaluate the test results of neonates delivered by COVID-19-positive mothers during pregnancy with those of neonates born to unvaccinated mothers who are COVID-19-free. A cohort study was conducted on 367 pregnant women who gave birth at Premiere Hospital, Timisoara, Romania, between May 2021 and February 2022. Two groups were established: Group 1, with 167 pregnant women infected with COVID-19, and Group 2, with 200 pregnant women who were not affected by COVID-19 during pregnancy. Maternal laboratory examination did not exhibit significant variations except for platelet count. In neonatal blood tests, WBC had a significantly lower median value in the group born to COVID-19-free mothers. Neonatal anemia and leukocytosis showed slightly higher prevalence in Group 1, but the differences were not statistically significant. This study suggests that maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy does not have significant associations with most maternal and neonatal characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela-Eugenia Popescu
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (D.-E.P.); (N.L.); (A.M.M.); (M.A.D.); (Z.L.P.); (D.C.C.); (M.B.)
- Department of Neonatology, Premiere Hospital, Regina Maria Health Network, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Simona Cerbu
- Discipline of Radiology and Medical Imaging, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ioana Rosca
- Neonatology Department, Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology “Prof. Dr. P.Sirbu”, 060251 Bucharest, Romania;
- Faculty of Midwifery and Nursery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Nicoleta Lungu
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (D.-E.P.); (N.L.); (A.M.M.); (M.A.D.); (Z.L.P.); (D.C.C.); (M.B.)
- Department of Neonatology, “Louis Țurcanu” Children Emergency Clinical Hospital Timișoara, 300011 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ana Adriana Trușculescu
- Pulmonology Department, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania;
- Center for Research and Innovation in Precision Medicine of Respiratory Diseases (CRIPMRD), “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Valerica Belengeanu
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, “Vasile Goldiş” Western University of Arad, 310025 Arad, Romania;
| | - Aniko Maria Manea
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (D.-E.P.); (N.L.); (A.M.M.); (M.A.D.); (Z.L.P.); (D.C.C.); (M.B.)
| | - Mirabela Adina Dima
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (D.-E.P.); (N.L.); (A.M.M.); (M.A.D.); (Z.L.P.); (D.C.C.); (M.B.)
| | - Florin Gorun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Municipal Emergency Clinical Hospital Timisoara, 300172 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Zoran Laurentiu Popa
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (D.-E.P.); (N.L.); (A.M.M.); (M.A.D.); (Z.L.P.); (D.C.C.); (M.B.)
| | - Doru Ciprian Crisan
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (D.-E.P.); (N.L.); (A.M.M.); (M.A.D.); (Z.L.P.); (D.C.C.); (M.B.)
| | - Marioara Boia
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (D.-E.P.); (N.L.); (A.M.M.); (M.A.D.); (Z.L.P.); (D.C.C.); (M.B.)
- Department of Neonatology, “Louis Țurcanu” Children Emergency Clinical Hospital Timișoara, 300011 Timisoara, Romania
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Bruckner TA, Gemmill A. Causes of ART-related outcomes in the COVID-19 era. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2023; 37:128-130. [PMID: 36683561 DOI: 10.1111/ppe.12953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tim A Bruckner
- Public Health and the Center for Population, Inequality, and Policy, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Alison Gemmill
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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