Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Author Spotlight: Evaluating the Impact of Immediate Partial Removal of Cumulus-Oocyte Complexes on Fertilization Efficiency and Embryo Quality
08:06

Author Spotlight: Evaluating the Impact of Immediate Partial Removal of Cumulus-Oocyte Complexes on Fertilization Efficiency and Embryo Quality

Published on: October 18, 2024

568

Results of Pregnancy Control before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison of Two Cohorts

Javier Llorca1,2, Carolina Lechosa-Muñiz1,3, Pelayo Frank de Zulueta3

  • 1Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|August 7, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic saw fewer Cesarean sections and lower rates of low birth weight babies. Exclusive breastfeeding also increased during this period, suggesting potential shifts in maternal and infant care practices.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant risks to pregnant women.
  • Behavioral changes during the pandemic correlated with reduced preterm birth rates in high-income nations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnancy management and outcomes.
  • To compare pregnancy outcomes between pre-pandemic and pandemic cohorts.

Main Methods:

  • A joint analysis of two cohorts: a pre-pandemic cohort (969 women, 2018) and a pandemic cohort (1168 women, 2020).
  • Data extracted from medical records included demographics, reproductive history, pregnancy characteristics, and outcomes.
  • Statistical analysis using adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to compare outcomes between cohorts.

Main Results:

  • Cesarean section rates were higher in the pre-pandemic cohort (OR = 0.71).
  • Both very low birth weight (<2500g) and high birth weight (>4000g) were more frequent in the pre-pandemic cohort (OR = 0.62 and OR = 0.30, respectively).
  • Exclusive breastfeeding at discharge was more common in the pandemic cohort (60% vs. 54%), with reduced rates of mixed feeding/formula (OR = 0.67).

Conclusions:

  • The study observed a reduction in Cesarean sections and low birth weight infants during the pandemic in northern Spain.
  • Further research is needed to determine if these changes are due to altered health behaviors or healthcare operations.

Keywords:
COVID-19cohortpregnant

More Related Videos

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

12.2K
Setup of Consumer Wearable Devices for Exposure and Health Monitoring in Population Studies15:00

Setup of Consumer Wearable Devices for Exposure and Health Monitoring in Population Studies

Published on: February 3, 2023

2.7K

Related Concept Videos

Controls in Experiments01:13

Controls in Experiments

When conducting an experiment, it is crucial to have control to reduce bias and accurately measure the dependent variables. It also marks the results more reliable. Controls are elements in an experiment that have the same characteristics as the treatment groups but are not affected by the independent variable. By sorting these data into control and experimental conditions, the relationship between the dependent and independent variables can be drawn. A randomized experiment always includes a...
14.0K
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches01:23

Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches

Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
207
Study Designs in Epidemiology01:20

Study Designs in Epidemiology

Epidemiological study designs are fundamental tools for investigating the distribution, determinants, and control of health conditions in populations. They help researchers understand the relationships between exposures and outcomes, and they broadly fall into two categories: "observational" and "experimental" studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and...
530
Bias in Epidemiological Studies01:29

Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Biases can arise at various stages of research, from study design and data collection to analysis and interpretation. Recognizing and addressing these biases is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of epidemiological findings.Broadly speaking, biases in epidemiology fall into three main categories: selection bias, information bias, and confounding. A more detailed description of possible biases is:  
849
Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups01:20

Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups

Survival analysis is a cornerstone of medical research, used to evaluate the time until an event of interest occurs, such as death, disease recurrence, or recovery. Unlike standard statistical methods, survival analysis is particularly adept at handling censored data—instances where the event has not occurred for some participants by the end of the study or remains unobserved. To address these unique challenges, specialized techniques like the Kaplan-Meier estimator, log-rank test, and...
355
Confounding in Epidemiological Studies01:27

Confounding in Epidemiological Studies

Confounding in statistical epidemiology represents a pivotal challenge, referring to the distortion in the perceived relationship between an exposure and an outcome due to the presence of a third variable, known as a confounder. This variable is associated with both the exposure and the outcome but is not a direct link in their causal chain. Its presence can lead to erroneous interpretations of the exposure's effect, either exaggerating or underestimating the true association. This...
322