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Preterm births prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: results from the national database

Charles M'poca Charles1,2, Luiz Alves Souza Neto3,4, Camila Ferreira Soares5

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.

Scientific Reports
|September 4, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic saw a slight increase in preterm births in Brazil, with a 4% rise in 2020 and 2% in 2021. This trend varied regionally, with the South showing the highest increase and the North a decrease.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Reproductive Health

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted global health systems, particularly sexual and reproductive health services.
  • Previous studies from high-income countries indicated changes in preterm birth rates during the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on preterm birth rates at a national level in Brazil.
  • To compare preterm birth numbers during the pandemic (2020-2021) with pre-pandemic years.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based cross-sectional study using live birth data from Brazil's Live Birth Information System (SINASC) from 2017 to 2021.
  • Propensity score weighting analysis was employed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of preterm deliveries, adjusting for sociodemographic variables.

Main Results:

  • Preterm birth prevalence slightly increased during the pandemic (11.32% in 2021 vs. 11.09% in 2019).
  • Adjusted analysis revealed a significant increase in preterm births: 4% in 2020 and 2% in 2021 compared to 2019.
  • Regional variations were observed, with the South region showing the highest OR increase, while the North region experienced a significant reduction in preterm births.

Conclusions:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increased incidence of preterm births in Brazil.
  • The pandemic exacerbated regional disparities in preterm birth rates across Brazil.
  • Further research is needed to understand the specific factors contributing to these regional variations.

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