Health: The rate of stillbirth and maternal deaths witnessed a significant increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, with health outcomes getting worse for both babies and mothers worldwide, according to a review published in The Lancet Global Health journal.
While stillbirth cases rose by 28 percent, the risk of mothers dying during pregnancy or childbirth increased by about 33 percent. The impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy outcomes was disproportionately higher in poorer countries.
A disruption in maternal health services due to global lockdowns, a reduction in health-seeking behaviour, and the fear of getting infected from health providers added to pregnancy risks.
The report titled “Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and perinatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis” is an analysis of 40 studies from 17 countries including Brazil, Mexico, USA, Canada, UK, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, India, China, and Nepal.
Researchers reviewed data from more than six million pregnancies, and the studies compared pregnancy outcomes during and before the pandemic.
In the case of India, an analysis of the Health Management Information System (HMIS) data provided by Population Foundation of India showed that during the lockdown months—April, May,and June 2020—there was a 27 percent drop in pregnant women receiving four or more ante-natal check-ups, a 28 percent decline in institutional deliveries, and 22 percent decline in prenatal services, as compared to the same period in 2019.
Read this article on the impact of COVID-19 on reproductive health services in India.