1
|
Gilbert CE, Todd J. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on retinopathy of prematurity services in low resource settings. Eye (Lond) 2024; 38:2102-2109. [PMID: 37880450 PMCID: PMC11269694 DOI: 10.1038/s41433-023-02784-6] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Retinopathy of prematurity is an increasingly important cause of blindness in children in low- and middle-income countries. Timely screening and treatment greatly reduce blindness. This study assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ROP services in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS An online survey with closed and open-ended questions in Microsoft Teams was sent to 304 ophthalmologists providing screening, treatment and/or vitreoretinal services (January 15 to March 12 2021). Categories were used to report impact on services. 28 participants were purposively selected for interview. RESULTS 184/201 completed forms from 32 countries were received. Two thirds of participants worked in government facilities and 45.6% were paediatric ophthalmologists. A moderate to severe impact was reported by 13% for screening, 9% for treatment and 16% for vitreoretinal surgery with some variation between government, private and not-for-profit sectors. 22% thought services would take a year to recover. Fifteen ophthalmologists from 12 countries were interviewed. Many reported fewer neonatal admissions, and several reported more ROP blind infants once restrictions lifted. Themes associated with services continuing included limited lockdown, autonomy and flexibility, commitment, advocacy and technology. Themes associated with a negative impact include fear and panic, closure of facilities, COVID infection or quarantining of health workers and parents, lack of transport and exacerbation of poverty. CONCLUSIONS The COVID pandemic had a very variable impact on the provision of ROP services. In some countries where the impact was great, more infants may have become blind from ROP. Lessons can be learnt for planning pandemic preparedness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Elizabeth Gilbert
- International Centre for Eye Health, Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Joshua Todd
- Queens' College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Manno JM, Marzan MB, Rolnik DL, Potenza S, Pritchard N, Said JM, Palmer KR, Whitehead CL, Sheehan PM, Ford J, Mol BW, Walker SP, Hui L. Reduction in spontaneous and iatrogenic preterm births in twin pregnancies during COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne, Australia: a multicenter cohort study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2023; 23:846. [PMID: 38082241 PMCID: PMC10712149 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-06137-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melbourne, Australia, recorded one of the longest and most stringent pandemic lockdowns in 2020, which was associated with an increase in preterm stillbirths among singleton pregnancies. Twin pregnancies may be particularly susceptible to the impacts of pandemic disruptions to maternity care due to their higher background risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. METHODS Multicenter retrospective cohort study of all twin pregnancies birthing in public maternity hospitals in Melbourne. Multivariable log-binomial regression models were used to compare perinatal outcomes between a pre-pandemic group to women in whom weeks 20+0 to 40+0 of gestation occurred entirely during one of two lockdown-exposure periods: exposure 1 from 22 March 2020 to 21 March 2021 and exposure 2 from 22 March 2021 to 27 March 2022. RESULTS Total preterm births < 37 weeks were significantly lower in exposure 1 compared with the pre-pandemic period (63.1% vs 68.3%; adjusted risk ratio 0.92 95% CI 0.87-0.98, p = 0.01). This was mainly driven by fewer spontaneous preterm births (18.9% vs 20.3%; adjusted risk ratio 0.95 95% CI 0.90-0.99, p = 0.04). There were also lower rates of preterm birth < 34 weeks (19.9% vs 23.0%, adjusted risk ratio 0.93 95% CI 0.89-0.98 p = 0.01) and total iatrogenic births for fetal compromise (13.4% vs 20.4%; adjusted risk ratio 0.94 95% CI 0.89-0.98, p = 0.01). There were fewer special care nursery admissions (38.5% vs 43.4%; adjusted risk ratio 0.91 95% CI 0.87-0.95, p < 0.001) but no significant changes in stillbirth (1.5% vs 1.6%; adjusted risk ratio 1.00 95% CI 0.99-1.01, p = 0.82). Compared with the pre-pandemic period, there were more preterm births < 28 weeks and neonatal intensive care unit admissions in exposure 2. CONCLUSIONS Melbourne's first lockdown-exposure period was associated with lower preterm births in twins without significant differences in adverse newborn outcomes. Our findings provide insights into the influences on preterm birth and the optimal timing of delivery for twins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliana M Manno
- Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Melvin B Marzan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, Mercy Health, Heidelberg, Australia
- Reproductive Epidemiology Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
| | - Daniel L Rolnik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash Health, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Stephanie Potenza
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, Mercy Health, Heidelberg, Australia
| | - Natasha Pritchard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, Mercy Health, Heidelberg, Australia
| | - Joanne M Said
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine Department, Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital, Western Health, St Albans, Australia
| | - Kirsten R Palmer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash Health, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Clare L Whitehead
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
| | - Penelope M Sheehan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash Health, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Eastern Health, Box Hill, Australia
| | - Jolyon Ford
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Peninsula Health, Frankston, Australia
| | - Ben W Mol
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash Health, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Susan P Walker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, Mercy Health, Heidelberg, Australia
| | - Lisa Hui
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, Mercy Health, Heidelberg, Australia.
- Reproductive Epidemiology Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Northern Hospital, Northern Health, Epping, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Leong M, Karr CJ, Shah SI, Brumberg HL. Before the first breath: why ambient air pollution and climate change should matter to neonatal-perinatal providers. J Perinatol 2023; 43:1059-1066. [PMID: 36038659 PMCID: PMC9421104 DOI: 10.1038/s41372-022-01479-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Common outdoor air pollutants present threats to fetal and neonatal health, placing neonatal-perinatal clinical specialists in an important role for harm reduction through patient counseling and advocacy. Climate change is intertwined with air pollution and influences air quality. There is increasing evidence demonstrating the unique vulnerability in the development of adverse health consequences from exposures during the preconception, prenatal, and early postnatal periods, as well as promising indications that policies aimed at addressing these toxicants have improved birth outcomes. Advocacy by neonatal-perinatal providers articulating the potential impact of pollutants on newborns and mothers is essential to promoting improvements in air quality and reducing exposures. The goal of this review is to update neonatal-perinatal clinical specialists on the key ambient air pollutants of concern, their sources and health effects, and to outline strategies for protecting patients and communities from documented adverse health consequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Leong
- Division of Neonatology, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, Westchester Medical Center and Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.
| | - Catherine J Karr
- Departments of Pediatrics and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shetal I Shah
- Division of Neonatology, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, Westchester Medical Center and Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Heather L Brumberg
- Division of Neonatology, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, Westchester Medical Center and Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Guarnizo-Herreño CC, Buitrago G, Wehby GL. Changes in birth outcomes and utilization of prenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: a secondary analysis of vital statistics in Colombia. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:234. [PMID: 37173676 PMCID: PMC10175897 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04027-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birth outcomes could have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through changes in access to prenatal services and other pathways. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on fetal death, birth weight, gestational age, number of prenatal visits, and caesarean delivery in 2020 in Colombia. METHODS We conducted a secondary analysis of data on 3,140,010 pregnancies and 2,993,534 live births from population-based birth certificate and fetal death certificate records in Colombia between 2016 and 2020. Outcomes were compared separately for each month during 2020 with the same month in 2019 and pre-pandemic trends were examined in regression models controlling for maternal age, educational level, marital status, type of health insurance, place of residence (urban/rural), municipality of birth, and the number of pregnancies the mother has had before last pregnancy. RESULTS We found some evidence for a decline in miscarriage risk in some months after the pandemic start, while there was an apparent lagging increase in stillbirth risk, although not statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Birth weight increased during the onset of the pandemic, a change that does not appear to be driven by pre-pandemic trends. Specifically, mean birth weight was higher in 2020 than 2019 for births in April through December by about 12 to 21 g (p < 0.01). There was also a lower risk of gestational age at/below 37 weeks in 2020 for two months following the pandemic (April, June), but a higher risk in October. Finally, there was a decline in prenatal visits in 2020 especially in June-October, but no evidence of a change in C-section delivery. CONCLUSIONS The study findings suggest mixed early effects of the pandemic on perinatal outcomes and prenatal care utilization in Colombia. While there was a significant decline in prenatal visits, other factors may have had counter effects on perinatal health including an increase in birth weight on average.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Giancarlo Buitrago
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- Hospital Universitario Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - George L Wehby
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa, USA
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Calvert C, Brockway MM, Zoega H, Miller JE, Been JV, Amegah AK, Racine-Poon A, Oskoui SE, Abok II, Aghaeepour N, Akwaowo CD, Alshaikh BN, Ayede AI, Bacchini F, Barekatain B, Barnes R, Bebak K, Berard A, Bhutta ZA, Brook JR, Bryan LR, Cajachagua-Torres KN, Campbell-Yeo M, Chu DT, Connor KL, Cornette L, Cortés S, Daly M, Debauche C, Dedeke IOF, Einarsdóttir K, Engjom H, Estrada-Gutierrez G, Fantasia I, Fiorentino NM, Franklin M, Fraser A, Gachuno OW, Gallo LA, Gissler M, Håberg SE, Habibelahi A, Häggström J, Hookham L, Hui L, Huicho L, Hunter KJ, Huq S, Kc A, Kadambari S, Kelishadi R, Khalili N, Kippen J, Le Doare K, Llorca J, Magee LA, Magnus MC, Man KKC, Mburugu PM, Mediratta RP, Morris AD, Muhajarine N, Mulholland RH, Bonnard LN, Nakibuuka V, Nassar N, Nyadanu SD, Oakley L, Oladokun A, Olayemi OO, Olutekunbi OA, Oluwafemi RO, Ogunkunle TO, Orton C, Örtqvist AK, Ouma J, Oyapero O, Palmer KR, Pedersen LH, Pereira G, Pereyra I, Philip RK, Pruski D, Przybylski M, Quezada-Pinedo HG, Regan AK, Rhoda NR, Rihs TA, Riley T, Rocha TAH, Rolnik DL, Saner C, Schneuer FJ, Souter VL, Stephansson O, Sun S, Swift EM, Szabó M, Temmerman M, Tooke L, Urquia ML, von Dadelszen P, Wellenius GA, Whitehead C, Wong ICK, Wood R, Wróblewska-Seniuk K, Yeboah-Antwi K, Yilgwan CS, Zawiejska A, Sheikh A, Rodriguez N, Burgner D, Stock SJ, Azad MB. Changes in preterm birth and stillbirth during COVID-19 lockdowns in 26 countries. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:529-544. [PMID: 36849590 PMCID: PMC10129868 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01522-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
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 <0.0001), second (0.96, 0.92-0.99, 0.03) and third (0.97, 0.94-1.00, 0.09) months of lockdown, but not in the fourth month of lockdown (0.99, 0.96-1.01, 0.34), although there were some between-country differences after the first month. For high-income countries in this study, we did not observe an association between lockdown and stillbirths in the second (1.00, 0.88-1.14, 0.98), third (0.99, 0.88-1.12, 0.89) and fourth (1.01, 0.87-1.18, 0.86) months of lockdown, although we have imprecise estimates due to stillbirths being a relatively rare event. We did, however, find evidence of increased risk of stillbirth in the first month of lockdown in high-income countries (1.14, 1.02-1.29, 0.02) and, in Brazil, we found evidence for an association between lockdown and stillbirth in the second (1.09, 1.03-1.15, 0.002), third (1.10, 1.03-1.17, 0.003) and fourth (1.12, 1.05-1.19, <0.001) months of lockdown. With an estimated 14.8 million PTB annually worldwide, the modest reductions observed during early pandemic lockdowns translate into large numbers of PTB averted globally and warrant further research into causal pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clara Calvert
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Meredith Merilee Brockway
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Helga Zoega
- School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Centre of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Jessica E Miller
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jasper V Been
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Department of Public Health; Erasmus MC - Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Adeladza Kofi Amegah
- Public Health Research Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | | | | | - Ishaya I Abok
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Jos/Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria
| | - Nima Aghaeepour
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain, and Perioperative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christie D Akwaowo
- Institute of Health Research and Development, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, Nigeria
- College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
| | - Belal N Alshaikh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Adejumoke I Ayede
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | | | - Behzad Barekatain
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | | | - Karolina Bebak
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward, District Public Hospital in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Anick Berard
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- CHU Ste-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Zulfiqar A Bhutta
- Center of Excellence in Women Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
- Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeffrey R Brook
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lenroy R Bryan
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Child Health, University of The West MonaIndies, Mona, Jamaica
| | - Kim N Cajachagua-Torres
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Department of Paediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Centro de Investigación en Salud Materna e Infantil and Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral y Sostenible, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Marsha Campbell-Yeo
- School of Nursing, Dalhousie University and IWK Health, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Dinh-Toi Chu
- Center for Biomedicine and Community Health, International School, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Kristin L Connor
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luc Cornette
- AZ St-Jan Bruges-Ostend AV Hospital, Bruges, Belgium
| | - Sandra Cortés
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases Diagonal (ACCDIS), Santiago, Chile
| | - Mandy Daly
- Irish Neonatal Health Alliance, Wicklow, Ireland
| | - Christian Debauche
- Department of Neonatology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, IREC, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
- CEpiP (Centre d'Epidémiologie Périnatale), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Kristjana Einarsdóttir
- Centre of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
- Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Hilde Engjom
- Department of Health Registry Research and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Ilaria Fantasia
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo Children's Hospital, Trieste, Italy
| | - Nicole M Fiorentino
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Meredith Franklin
- Department of Statistical Sciences and School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abigail Fraser
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Onesmus W Gachuno
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Linda A Gallo
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mika Gissler
- Department of Knowledge Brokers, THL Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Academic Primary Health Care Centre, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Siri E Håberg
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Abbas Habibelahi
- Neonatology, Neonatal Health Office, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Lauren Hookham
- St. George's University, Makerere University - Johns Hopkins University Research Collaboration, London, UK
| | - Lisa Hui
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Luis Huicho
- Centro de Investigación en Salud Materna e Infantil, Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral y Sostenible and School of Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Sayeeda Huq
- Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, ICDDR,B (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Seilesh Kadambari
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Roya Kelishadi
- Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Narjes Khalili
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Joanna Kippen
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward, District Public Hospital in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Kirsty Le Doare
- International Centre for Neonatal and Paediatric Infection, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Medical Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Javier Llorca
- Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
- CIBERESP (Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health, en Epidemiología y Salud Pública), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura A Magee
- Institute of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Maria C Magnus
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kenneth K C Man
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, University College London School of Pharmacy, London, UK
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Patrick M Mburugu
- Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Rishi P Mediratta
- Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Nazeem Muhajarine
- Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | | | - Livia Nagy Bonnard
- Melletted a helyem Egyesület, Right(s) Beside You Association, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Victoria Nakibuuka
- Department of Paediatrics, St. Francis Nsambya Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Natasha Nassar
- Child Population and Translational Health Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sylvester D Nyadanu
- Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Education, Culture, and Health Opportunities (ECHO) Research Group International, Aflao, Ghana
| | - Laura Oakley
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Adesina Oladokun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Oladapo O Olayemi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | | | - Rosena O Oluwafemi
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Mother and Child Hospital, Akure, Nigeria
| | - Taofik O Ogunkunle
- Department of Paediatrics, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, Nigeria
| | | | - Anne K Örtqvist
- Clinical Epidemiology Division, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Visby County Hospital, Visby, Sweden
| | - Joseph Ouma
- Makerere University - Johns Hopkins University Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Oyejoke Oyapero
- Paediatrics Department, Ikorodu General Hospital, Ikorodu, Nigeria
| | - Kirsten R Palmer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lars H Pedersen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Gavin Pereira
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Curtin School of Population Health and enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Isabel Pereyra
- School of Nutrition, Catholic University del Maule, Region del Maule, Chile
| | - Roy K Philip
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, University Maternity Hospital Limerick and University of Limerick School of Medicine, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Dominik Pruski
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward, District Public Hospital in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Marcin Przybylski
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward, District Public Hospital in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Hugo G Quezada-Pinedo
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Department of Paediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Centro de Investigación en Salud Materna e Infantil and Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral y Sostenible, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Annette K Regan
- School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Natasha R Rhoda
- Paediatric Department, School of Adolescent and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Mowbray Maternity Hospital, Western Cape Department of Health, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Tonia A Rihs
- Federal Statistical Office (FSO), Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Taylor Riley
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thiago Augusto Hernandes Rocha
- Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health Department, Pan-American Health Organization - World Health Organization, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daniel L Rolnik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christoph Saner
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Francisco J Schneuer
- The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Olof Stephansson
- Clinical Epidemiology Division, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shengzhi Sun
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emma M Swift
- Faculty of Nursing, Department of Midwifery, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Miklós Szabó
- Division of Neonatology, 1st Department of Pediatrics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Marleen Temmerman
- Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lloyd Tooke
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marcelo L Urquia
- Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Peter von Dadelszen
- Institute of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gregory A Wellenius
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Clare Whitehead
- The Royal Women's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ian C K Wong
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, University College London School of Pharmacy, London, UK
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Rachael Wood
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Public Health Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Kojo Yeboah-Antwi
- Public Health Unit, Father Thomas Alan Rooney Memorial Hospital, Asankrangwa, Western Region, Ghana
| | | | - Agnieszka Zawiejska
- Department of Medical Simulation, Chair of Medical Education, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Aziz Sheikh
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Natalie Rodriguez
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - David Burgner
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Sarah J Stock
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Meghan B Azad
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
- Departments of Pediatrics and Child Health, Community Health Sciences, and Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Brew BK, Donnolley N, Henry A, Dahlen H, Jalaludin B, Chambers GM. Double jeopardy-pregnancy and birth during a catastrophic bushfire event followed by a pandemic lockdown, a natural experiment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:113752. [PMID: 35777439 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND From November 2019 to January 2020, eastern Australia experienced the worst bushfires in recorded history. Two months later, Sydney and surrounds were placed into lockdown for six weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by ongoing restrictions. Many pregnant women at this time were exposed to both the bushfires and COVID-19 restrictions. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of exposure to bushfires and pandemic restrictions on perinatal outcomes. METHODS The study included 60 054 pregnant women who gave birth between November 2017 and December 2020 in South Sydney. Exposure cohorts were based on conception and birthing dates: 1) bushfire late pregnancy, born before lockdown; 2) bushfires in early-mid pregnancy, born during lockdown or soon after; 3) conceived during bushfires, lockdown in second trimester; 4) conceived after bushfires, pregnancy during restrictions. Exposure cohorts were compared with pregnancies in the matching periods in the two years prior. Associations between exposure cohorts and gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, hypertension, stillbirth, mode of birth, birthweight, preterm birth and small for gestational age were assessed using generalised estimating equations, adjusting for covariates. RESULTS A decrease in low birth weight was observed for cohort 1 (aOR 0.81, 95%CI 0.69, 0.95). Conversely, cohort 2 showed an increase in low birth weight, and increases in prelabour rupture of membranes, and caesarean sections (aOR 1.18, 95%CI 1.03, 1.37; aOR 1.21, 95%CI 1.07, 1.37; aOR 1.10 (1.02, 1.18) respectively). Cohort 3 showed an increase in unplanned caesarean sections and high birth weight babies (aOR 1.15, 95%CI 1.04, 1.27 and aOR 1.16, 95%CI 1.02, 1.31 respectively), and a decrease in gestational diabetes mellitus was observed for both cohorts 3 and 4. CONCLUSION Pregnancies exposed to both severe climate events and pandemic disruptions appear to have increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes beyond only experiencing one event, but further research is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bronwyn K Brew
- National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, Centre for Big Data Research in Health & School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW, Australia.
| | - Natasha Donnolley
- National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, Centre for Big Data Research in Health & School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW, Australia
| | - Amanda Henry
- Discipline of Women's Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW, Australia; Department of Women's and Children's Health, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia
| | - Hannah Dahlen
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Australia
| | - Bin Jalaludin
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, UNSW Sydney, Australia
| | - Georgina M Chambers
- National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, Centre for Big Data Research in Health & School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Dhami S, Thompson D, El Akoum M, Bates DW, Bertollini R, Sheikh A. Data-enabled responses to pandemics: policy lessons from COVID-19. Nat Med 2022; 28:2243-2246. [PMID: 36229666 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-02054-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Aziz Sheikh
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Dron L, Kalatharan V, Gupta A, Haggstrom J, Zariffa N, Morris AD, Arora P, Park J. Data capture and sharing in the COVID-19 pandemic: a cause for concern. Lancet Digit Health 2022; 4:e748-e756. [PMID: 36150783 PMCID: PMC9489064 DOI: 10.1016/s2589-7500(22)00147-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Routine health care and research have been profoundly influenced by digital-health technologies. These technologies range from primary data collection in electronic health records (EHRs) and administrative claims to web-based artificial-intelligence-driven analyses. There has been increased use of such health technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven in part by the availability of these data. In some cases, this has resulted in profound and potentially long-lasting positive effects on medical research and routine health-care delivery. In other cases, high profile shortcomings have been evident, potentially attenuating the effect of-or representing a decreased appetite for-digital-health transformation. In this Series paper, we provide an overview of how facets of health technologies in routinely collected medical data (including EHRs and digital data sharing) have been used for COVID-19 research and tracking, and how these technologies might influence future pandemics and health-care research. We explore the strengths and weaknesses of digital-health research during the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss how learnings from COVID-19 might translate into new approaches in a post-pandemic era.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louis Dron
- Real World & Advanced Analytics, Cytel Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Correspondence to: Mr Louis Dron, Real World & Advanced Analytics, Cytel Health, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4J7, Canada
| | - Vinusha Kalatharan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Alind Gupta
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jonas Haggstrom
- Real World & Advanced Analytics, Cytel Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada,The International COVID-19 Data Alliance (ICODA), Health Data Research UK, London, UK
| | - Nevine Zariffa
- The International COVID-19 Data Alliance (ICODA), Health Data Research UK, London, UK,NMD Group, LLC, Bala Cynwyd, PA, USA
| | - Andrew D Morris
- The International COVID-19 Data Alliance (ICODA), Health Data Research UK, London, UK
| | - Paul Arora
- Real World & Advanced Analytics, Cytel Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jay Park
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Reynolds RM, Stock SJ, Denison FC, Maybin JA, Critchley HOD. Pregnancy and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Physiol Rev 2022; 102:1385-1391. [PMID: 35343829 PMCID: PMC9076407 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00003.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Reynolds
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah J Stock
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona C Denison
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline A Maybin
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Hilary O D Critchley
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Hui L, Marzan MB, Potenza S, Rolnik DL, Pritchard N, Said JM, Palmer KR, Whitehead CL, Sheehan PM, Ford J, Mol BW, Walker SP. Increase in preterm stillbirths in association with reduction in iatrogenic preterm births during COVID-19 lockdown in Australia: a multicenter cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2022; 227:491.e1-491.e17. [PMID: 35452655 PMCID: PMC9017088 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a worsening of perinatal outcomes in many regions around the world. Melbourne, Australia, had one of the longest and most stringent lockdowns worldwide in 2020 while recording only rare instances of COVID-19 infection in pregnant women. Objective This study aimed to compare the stillbirth and preterm birth rates in women who were exposed or unexposed to lockdown restrictions during pregnancy. Study Design This was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study of perinatal outcomes in Melbourne before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. The lockdown period was defined as the period from March 23, 2020 to March 14, 2021. Routinely-collected maternity data on singleton pregnancies ≥24 weeks gestation without congenital anomalies were obtained from all the 12 public hospitals in Melbourne. We defined the lockdown-exposed cohort as those women for whom weeks 20 to 40 of gestation occurred during the lockdown and the unexposed control group as women from the corresponding calendar periods 12 and 24 months before. The main outcome measures were stillbirth, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction (birthweight < third centile), and iatrogenic preterm birth for fetal compromise. We performed multivariable logistic regression analysis to compare the odds of stillbirth, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, and iatrogenic preterm birth for fetal compromise, adjusting for multiple covariates. Results There were 24,817 births in the exposed group and 50,017 births in the control group. There was a significantly higher risk of preterm stillbirth in the exposed group than the control group (0.26% vs 0.18%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–2.05; P=.015). There was also a significant reduction in the preterm birth of live infants <37 weeks (5.68% vs 6.07%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.87–0.99; P=.02), which was largely mediated by a significant reduction in iatrogenic preterm birth (3.01% vs 3.27%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–0.99; P=.03), including iatrogenic preterm birth for fetal compromise (1.25% vs 1.51%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.71–0.93; P=.003). There were also significant reductions in special care nursery admissions during lockdown (11.53% vs 12.51%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.86–0.95; P<.0001). There was a trend to fewer spontaneous preterm births <37 weeks in the exposed group of a similar magnitude to that reported in other countries (2.69% vs 2.82%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.87–1.05; P=.32). Conclusion Lockdown restrictions in Melbourne, Australia were associated with a significant reduction in iatrogenic preterm birth for fetal compromise and a significant increase in preterm stillbirths. This raises concerns that pandemic conditions in 2020 may have led to a failure to identify and appropriately care for pregnant women at an increased risk of antepartum stillbirth. Further research is required to understand the relationship between these 2 findings and to inform our ongoing responses to the pandemic.
Collapse
|
11
|
Hui L, Marzan MB, Potenza S, Rolnik DL, Said JM, Palmer KR, Whitehead CL, Sheehan PM, Ford J, Pritchard N, Mol BW, Walker SP. Collaborative maternity and newborn dashboard (CoMaND) for the COVID-19 pandemic: a protocol for timely, adaptive monitoring of perinatal outcomes in Melbourne, Australia. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e055902. [PMID: 34815291 PMCID: PMC8611235 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a range of unprecedented disruptions to maternity care with documented impacts on perinatal outcomes such as stillbirth and preterm birth. Metropolitan Melbourne has endured one of the longest and most stringent lockdowns in globally. This paper presents the protocol for a multicentre study to monitor perinatal outcomes in Melbourne, Australia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Multicentre observational study analysing monthly deidentified maternal and newborn outcomes from births >20 weeks at all 12 public maternity services in Melbourne. Data will be merged centrally to analyse outcomes and create run charts according to established methods for detecting non-random 'signals' in healthcare. Perinatal outcomes will include weekly rates of total births, stillbirths, preterm births, neonatal intensive care admissions, low Apgar scores and fetal growth restriction. Maternal outcomes will include weekly rates of: induced labour, caesarean section, births before arrival to hospital, postpartum haemorrhage, length of stay, general anaesthesia for caesarean birth, influenza and COVID-19 vaccination status, and gestation at first antenatal visit. A prepandemic median for all outcomes will be calculated for the period of January 2018 to March 2020. A significant shift is defined as ≥6 consecutive weeks, all above or below the prepandemic median. Additional statistical analyses such as regression, time series and survival analyses will be performed for an in-depth examination of maternal and perinatal outcomes of interests. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethics approval for the collaborative maternity and newborn dashboard project has been obtained from the Austin Health (HREC/64722/Austin-2020) and Mercy Health (ref. 2020-031). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ACTRN12620000878976; Pre-results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Hui
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Perinatal Medicine, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Northern Hospital, Northern Health, Epping, Victoria, Australia
- Reproductive Epidemiology Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melvin B Marzan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephanie Potenza
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel L Rolnik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash Medical Centre, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joanne M Said
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital, Western Health, St Albans, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kirsten R Palmer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash Medical Centre, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Clare L Whitehead
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Penelope M Sheehan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Box Hill Hospital, Eastern Health, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jolyon Ford
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Frankston Hospital, Peninsula Health, Frankston, Victoria, Australia
| | - Natasha Pritchard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Perinatal Medicine, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ben W Mol
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash Medical Centre, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Susan P Walker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Perinatal Medicine, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Einarsdóttir K, Swift EM, Zoega H. Changes in obstetric interventions and preterm birth during COVID-19: A nationwide study from Iceland. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2021; 100:1924-1930. [PMID: 34255860 PMCID: PMC8444658 DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Previous evidence has been conflicting regarding the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns on obstetric intervention and preterm birth rates. The literature to date suggests potentially differential underlying mechanisms based on country economic setting. We aimed to study these outcomes in an Icelandic population where uniform lockdown measures were implemented across the country. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included all singleton births (n = 20 680) during 2016-2020 identified from the population-based Icelandic Medical Birth Register. We defined two lockdown periods during March-May and October-December in 2020 according to government implemented nationwide lockdown. We compared monthly rates of cesarean section, induction of labor and preterm birth during lockdown with the same time periods in the 4 previous years (2016-2019) using logit binomial regression adjusted for confounders. RESULTS Our results indicated a reduction in the overall cesarean section rate, which was mainly evident for elective cesarean section, both during the first (adjusted odd ratio [aOR] 0.71, 95% CI 0.51-0.99) and second (aOR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52-0.99) lockdown periods, and not for emergency cesarean section. No change during lockdown was observed in induction of labor. Our results also suggested a reduction in the overall preterm birth rate during the first lockdown (aOR 0.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.97) and in the months immediately following the lockdown (June-September) (aOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49-0.89). The reduction during the first lockdown was mainly evident for medically indicated preterm birth (although not statistically significant) and the reduction during June-September was mainly evident for spontaneous preterm birth. CONCLUSIONS This study suggested a reduction in elective cesarean section during COVID-19 lockdown, possibly reflecting changes in prioritization of non-urgent health care during lockdown. We also found a reduction in overall preterm birth during the first lockdown and spontaneous preterm birth following the first lockdown, but further research is needed to shed light on the underlying mechanisms for these findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristjana Einarsdóttir
- Center of Public Health SciencesFaculty of MedicineUniversity of IcelandReykjavikIceland
| | - Emma Marie Swift
- Faculty of Nursing/Department of MidwiferyUniversity of IcelandReykjavíkIceland
- Women’s ClinicLandspitali National University Hospital of IcelandReykjavikIceland
| | - Helga Zoega
- Center of Public Health SciencesFaculty of MedicineUniversity of IcelandReykjavikIceland
- Centre for Big Data Research in HealthFaculty of MedicineUniversity of New South Wales SydneySydneyAustralia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rocha TAH, de Thomaz EBAF, de Almeida DG, da Silva NC, Queiroz RCDS, Andrade L, Facchini LA, Sartori MLL, Costa DB, Campos MAG, da Silva AAM, Staton C, Vissoci JRN. Data-driven risk stratification for preterm birth in Brazil: a population-based study to develop of a machine learning risk assessment approach. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2021; 3:100053. [PMID: 36777406 PMCID: PMC9904131 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2021.100053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Preterm birth (PTB) is a growing health issue worldwide, currently considered the leading cause of newborn deaths. To address this challenge, the present work aims to develop an algorithm capable of accurately predicting the week of delivery supporting the identification of a PTB in Brazil. Methods This a population-based study analyzing data from 3,876,666 mothers with live births distributed across the 3,929 Brazilian municipalities. Using indicators comprising delivery characteristics, primary care work processes, and physical infrastructure, and sociodemographic data we applied a machine learning-based approach to estimate the week of delivery at the point of care level. We tested six algorithms: eXtreme Gradient Boosting, Elastic Net, Quantile Ordinal Regression - LASSO, Linear Regression, Ridge Regression and Decision Tree. We used the root-mean-square error (RMSE) as a precision. Findings All models obtained RMSE indexes close to each other. The lower levels of RMSE were obtained using the eXtreme Gradient Boosting approach which was able to estimate the week of delivery within a 2.09 window 95%IC (2.090-2.097). The five most important variables to predict the week of delivery were: number of previous deliveries through Cesarean-Section, number of prenatal consultations, age of the mother, existence of ultrasound exam available in the care network, and proportion of primary care teams in the municipality registering the oral care consultation. Interpretation Using simple data describing the prenatal care offered, as well as minimal characteristics of the pregnant, our approach was capable of achieving a relevant predictive performance regarding the week of delivery. Funding Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development - Brazil, (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPQ acronym in portuguese) Support of the research project named: Data-Driven Risk Stratification for Preterm Birth in Brazil: Development of a Machine Learning-Based Innovation for Health Care- Grant: OPP1202186.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Augusto Hernandes Rocha
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America,Corresponding author: Thiago Augusto Hernandes Rocha, Duke University
| | | | | | - Núbia Cristina da Silva
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | | | - Luciano Andrade
- Department of Nursing, State University of the West of Parana, Foz do Iguaçu, Parana, Brazil
| | - Luiz Augusto Facchini
- Department of Social Medicine, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - Dalton Breno Costa
- The Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre. Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | | | - Catherine Staton
- Duke Emergency Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC USA. Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - João Ricardo Nickenig Vissoci
- Duke Emergency Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC USA. Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
|
15
|
Ochoa LB, Brockway M, Stock SJ, Been JV. COVID-19 and maternal and perinatal outcomes. Lancet Glob Health 2021; 9:e1063-e1064. [PMID: 34297958 PMCID: PMC8293948 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(21)00295-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lizbeth Burgos Ochoa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 CB, Netherlands
| | - Meredith Brockway
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Sarah J Stock
- Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jasper V Been
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 CB, Netherlands; Division of Neonatology and Department of Paediatrics, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 CB, Netherlands; Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, and Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam 3000 CB, Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|