ArticleBMJ global health2020
Unprecedented reduction in births of very low birthweight (VLBW) and extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants during the COVID-19 lockdown in Ireland: a 'natural experiment' allowing analysis of data from the prior two decades.
Article in BMJ global health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 147 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
147 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 244 citations in OpenAlex.
- The association of COVID-19 lockdowns with adverse birth and pregnancy outcomes in 28 high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nature human behaviour · 2025Pooled it
- The impact of mitigation measures on perinatal outcomes during the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review with meta-analysis.European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology · 2022Pooled it
- COVID-19 pandemic and population-level pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in general population: A living systematic review and meta-analysis (Update#2: November 20, 2021).Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2022Pooled it
- Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in general population: A living systematic review and meta-analysis (updated Aug 14, 2021).Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2022Pooled it
- The impact of COVID-19 first wave national lockdowns on perinatal outcomes: a rapid review and meta-analysis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Pooled it
- COVID-19 pandemic and population-level pregnancy and neonatal outcomes: a living systematic review and meta-analysis.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2021Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of data on pregnant women with confirmed COVID-19: Clinical presentation, and pregnancy and perinatal outcomes based on COVID-19 severity.Journal of global health · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and perinatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Lancet. Global health · 2021Pooled it
- Are pre- and early pregnancy lifestyle factors associated with the risk of preterm birth? A secondary cohort analysis of the cluster-randomised GeliS trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Trial
- Article
- Mortality and morbidity in very low birth weight infants from twin pregnancies in ireland: a national cohort analysis.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Time series analysis of impact of COVID-19 on infant and neonatal mortality in the United States.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Article
- The impact of changes in health policies caused by COVID-19 on pregnancy outcomes in Iran during health crises: A retrospective quasi-experimental study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- The impact of electronic cigarettes on pregnancy and childhood health outcomes: the ECHO study-a protocol for a multicentre, prospective, observational, cohort.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2025Article
- Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on the Incidence of Common Pregnancy Complications-Is the Diagnosis of FGR Made Too Generously?Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Seasonal Patterns of Preterm Birth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Romania.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Article
- A systematic review of COVID-19's impact on pregnancy outcomes.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025Review
- Sex Ratio at Birth in Northern Ireland During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison With Published Data From the Republic of Ireland, England and Wales.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2025Article
- Individual Behaviors and Health Inequalities: Preterm Birth During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico.Population and development review · 2025Article
87 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAetiology of births involving very low birthweight (VLBW) and extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants is heterogeneous and preventive strategies remain elusive. Socioenvironmental measures implemented as Ireland's response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) pandemic represented a national lockdown, and have possibly influenced the health and well-being of pregnant women and unborn infants.
methodsRegional trends of VLBW and ELBW infants in one designated health area of Ireland over two decades were analysed. Poisson regression and rate ratio analyses with 95% CI were conducted. Regional data covering most of the lockdown period of 2020 were compared with historical regional and national data and forecasted national figures for 2020.
resultsPoisson regression analysis found that the regional historical VLBW rate per 1000 live births for January to April, 2001-2019 was 8.18 (95% CI 7.21 to 9.29). During January to April 2020, an unusually low VLBW rate of just 2.17 per 1000 live births was observed, reflecting a rate ratio of 3.77 (95% CI 1.21 to 11.75), p=0.022, representing a 73% reduction of VLBW during the first 4 months of 2020 compared with same period for the preceding two decades. There were no ELBW infants admitted to the regional neonatal intensive care unit. National Irish VLBW rate for 2020 is forecasted to be reduced to approximate 400 per 60 000 births compared with the historical 500-600 range.
conclusionAn unprecedented reduction in regional births of VLBW and ELBW infants was observed in Ireland coinciding with the COVID-19 lockdown. Potential determinants of this unique temporal trend possibly reside in the summative socioenvironmental impact of the COVID-19 lockdown. Our findings, if mirrored in other regions that have adopted a lockdown, demonstrate the potential to evaluate these implicated behavioural and socioenvironmental modifiers to positively influence VLBW and ELBW rates globally.
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