Pandemic raises risk for pregnant women, babies

Pregnant women and their babies are suffering worse outcomes during the coronavirus pandemic, and researchers are sounding the alarm for immediate action to avoid rolling back decades of global investment in safe maternity care.

Data from an analysis of 40 studies published during the last year across 17 countries found rates of stillbirth and maternal mortality increased by a third. Outcomes were worse in lowand middle-income countries, according to a report Wednesday in the Lancet medical journal.

The increases may be driven by the pressure COVID-19 put on health systems rather than measures aimed at limiting the spread of the virus, such as lockdowns, the researchers said. Studies from individual countries suggested pregnant women reduced their care-seeking because of the fear of infection, as well as reduced provision of maternity services.

“It is clear from our study and others that the disruption caused by the pandemic has led to the avoidable deaths of both mothers and babies, especially in lowand middle-income countries,” said Asma Khalil, lead author of the study at St. George’s University of London.

The meta-analysis included studies from countries including Botswana, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, India, Israel, Mexico, Nepal, the U.K. and the U.S. Though the report is the first global assessment of the collateral impact of the pandemic on maternal and child health, it has its limitations. Studies included in the analysis varied in their methods, making it more challenging to compare results.

The outcomes represent a reversal of recent progress toward making pregnancy safer for mothers and children worldwide, said Andreea Creanga, physician and associate professor in the Department of International Health & Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Johns Hopkins University.

The world had made progress ensuring prenatal care and deliveries in health facilities staffed by health workers, and the focus had shifted in recent years to increasing the quality of the care that women and babies received.

“Now, we are going to go back and make sure that women come to facilities to get the care they need for themselves and for their infants,” she said. “It’s a difficult road ahead.”