# How do pandemic changed obstetric and neonatal outcomes: experience from a tertiary care center

## TL;DR

The pandemic led to worse outcomes for pregnant women and newborns, including higher NICU admissions and gestational diabetes.

## Contribution

This study reveals pandemic-specific changes in obstetric and neonatal outcomes using data from a tertiary care center.

## Key findings

- Pandemic period saw higher NICU admission rates (8% vs. 4.4%) and gestational diabetes (9.8% vs. 4.2%).
- Preterm birth rates decreased during the pandemic (12.5% vs. 25.1%).
- Infants born during the pandemic had a 91% higher likelihood of NICU admission.

## Abstract

The coronavirus disease pandemic has significantly impacted maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

This retrospective study compared the health outcomes of 1,556 pregnant women and their newborns who gave birth before and during the pandemic at a tertiary university hospital. Demographic and clinical data were collected from hospital medical records. The primary outcome was the association between coronavirus disease and neonatal intensive care unit admission rates, while the secondary outcomes included birth weight, gestational age at delivery, 5th-min APGAR scores, and maternal complications.

During the pandemic, screening test rates (58.9 vs. 33.2%, p<0.001), gestational diabetes mellitus prevalence (9.8 vs. 4.2%, p<0.001), and neonatal intensive care unit admission rates (8 vs. 4.4%, p=0.003) were significantly higher than those in the pre-pandemic period. Preterm birth rates were lower during the pandemic (12.5 vs. 25.1%, p<0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that infants born during the pandemic had a significantly higher likelihood of neonatal intensive care unit admission (OR 1.910, 95%CI 1.237–2.949, p=0.004).

These findings highlight the need for health systems to be prepared and resilient to public health crises, ensuring uninterrupted health services for pregnant women and newborns.