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The Unequal Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Infant Health

Florencia Torche1, Jenna Nobles2

  • 1Department of Sociology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.

Demography
|November 3, 2022
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted infant health, increasing preterm birth risks, especially for disadvantaged mothers. These prenatal exposures reveal lasting intergenerational health inequalities.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Maternal and Child Health

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected population health and well-being.
  • Prenatal exposure to the pandemic may lead to lasting intergenerational effects on infant health.
  • Socioeconomic disparities in pandemic-related birth outcomes require examination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the consequences of prenatal COVID-19 exposure on infant health.
  • To analyze pathways through which the pandemic influences birth outcomes.
  • To identify socioeconomic disparities in these health consequences.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of over 3.5 million California birth records.
  • Inclusion of universal data on COVID-19 infection among individuals giving birth.
  • Examination of inequalities in infection rates based on education, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic disadvantage.

Main Results:

  • COVID-19 infection during pregnancy significantly increases the probability of preterm birth by approximately one-third.
  • A reduction in preterm births early in the pandemic was followed by an increase during the winter 2021 surge.
  • The increase in preterm births during the surge was concentrated among mothers with low educational attainment.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal exposure to an unequal pandemic environment exacerbates U.S. inequality.
  • The pandemic's long-term legacy includes enduring intergenerational health disparities.
  • Findings highlight the critical need to address socioeconomic factors in maternal and infant health outcomes.

Keywords:
COVID-19Infant healthInfectious diseasesPreterm birthSocioeconomic inequality

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