Course: Comparison of Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
CME Credits: 1.00
Released: 2022-08-12
Key Points
Question Was the COVID-19 pandemic associated with changes in pregnancy-related outcomes?Findings In a cohort of more than 1.6 million pregnant patients across 463 US hospitals, the number of live births decreased by 5.2% during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to April 2021) compared with the 14 months prior. While live-birth outcomes and mode of delivery remained stable, small but significant increases in pregnancy-related complications and maternal death during delivery hospitalization were observed.
Meaning In this study, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increases in pregnancy-related complications and maternal deaths during delivery hospitalization.
Abstract
Importance Little is known about changes in obstetric outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.Objective To assess whether obstetric outcomes and pregnancy-related complications changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study included pregnant patients receiving care at 463 US hospitals whose information appeared in the PINC AI Healthcare Database. The relative differences in birth outcomes, pregnancy-related complications, and length of stay (LOS) during the pandemic period (March 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021) were compared with the prepandemic period (January 1, 2019, to February 28, 2020) using logistic and Poisson models, adjusting for patients’ characteristics, and comorbidities and with month and hospital fixed effects.
Exposures COVID-19 pandemic period.
Main Outcomes and Measures The 3 primary outcomes were the relative change in preterm vs term births, mortality outcomes, and mode of delivery. Secondary outcomes included the relative change in pregnancy-related complications and LOS.
Results There were 849,544 and 805,324 pregnant patients in the prepandemic and COVID-19 pandemic periods, respectively, and there were no significant differences in patient characteristics between periods, including age (-35 years: 153,606 [18.1%] vs 148 274 [18.4%]), race and ethnicity (eg, Hispanic patients: 145,475 [17.1%] vs 143,905 [17.9%]; White patients: 456,014 [53.7%] vs 433,668 [53.9%]), insurance type (Medicaid: 366,233 [43.1%] vs 346,331 [43.0%]), and comorbidities (all standardized mean differences <0.10). There was a 5.2% decrease in live births during the pandemic. Maternal death during delivery hospitalization increased from 5.17 to 8.69 deaths per 100,000 pregnant patients (odds ratio [OR], 1.75; 95% CI, 1.19-2.58). There were minimal changes in mode of delivery (vaginal: OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.996-1.02; primary cesarean: OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04; vaginal birth after cesarean: OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.95-1.00; repeated cesarean: OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95-0.97). LOS during delivery hospitalization decreased by 7% (rate ratio, 0.931; 95% CI, 0.928-0.933). Lastly, the adjusted odds of gestational hypertension (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.06-1.11), obstetric hemorrhage (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.10), preeclampsia (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06), and preexisting chronic hypertension (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.09) increased. No significant changes in preexisting racial and ethnic disparities were observed.
Conclusions and Relevance During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were increased odds of maternal death during delivery hospitalization, cardiovascular disorders, and obstetric hemorrhage. Further efforts are needed to ensure risks potentially associated with the COVID-19 pandemic do not persist beyond the current state of the pandemic.
Educational Objective
To identify the key insights or developments described in this article
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