Unforseen threats to perinatal health in COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Aims & Objective: Antenatal care (ANC) is a fundamental component of routine maternal and child health services. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries have diverted their public health infrastructure to combating the novel coronavirus. Although mortality rates for COVID-19 appear to be low in children and in women of reproductive age4 these groups might be disproportionately affected by the disruption of routine health services, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). With this in mind, we sought to quantify the potential indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal health. Material and Methods: The present study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at our tertiary care center for a period of 6 months from May 1, 2020, to October 30, 2020. The number of admissions, deliveries, high-risk women, and referrals was assessed. These data were compared with those from routine pre-COVID-19 days, May 1, 2019, to October 30, 2019.Results: A fall in admissions of about 36.66% was seen during the pandemic time. It was observed that there was an increase in the number of high-risk pregnancies by 13.2 percentage points in the pandemic as compared to previous. The decrease and irregularity in the antenatal check-ups and follow-ups of women were reflected in terms of increase in the maternal mortality, stillbirths and rise in the number of low-birth-weight babies. Conclusion: Intelligent use of technology and triaging based on maternal weeks of gestations and high-risk factors may help in combating our health care system in dealing with unforeseen consequences of pandemic on maternal and child health.