ArticleActa paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)2022
Preterm birth rates were slightly lower in Denmark during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the previous 4 years.
Article in Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- 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
- Nitrate contamination in drinking water and adverse reproductive and birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2023Pooled it
- Disruptions in perinatal outcomes across Manitoba, Canada: before and over 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- Internalising and externalising behaviour in siblings of children born preterm Preterm birth: Internalising and externalising behaviour of siblings.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
- Preterm birth and subsequent intelligence and academic performance in youth: A cohort study.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2024Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on Perinatal Outcomes and Birth Locations in a Large US Metropolitan Area.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Preterm birth rates among twins during the Danish COVID-19 lockdown and when restrictions were relaxed.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2023Article
- Preterm birth rates were slightly lower in Denmark during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the previous 4 years.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2022Article
- Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on birth outcomes: A retrospective cohort study in Nanjing, China.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
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8 authors.
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Abstract
aimOur aim was to investigate the rates of preterm births, live births and stillbirths in Denmark during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsThis was a national, cross-sectional registry-based study that used the Danish Newborn Quality database, which covers all births in Denmark. The proportions of preterm births were compared between the COVID-19 pandemic period of 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021 and the preceding 4-year pre-pandemic period.
resultsWe studied 60 323 and 244 481 newborn infants from the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods, respectively. The proportion of preterm live births and stillbirths declined slightly, from 6.29% during the pre-pandemic period to 6.02% during the pandemic period. This corresponded to a relative risk (RR) of 0.96, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.93-0.99 during the pandemic. The RRs for extremely preterm, very preterm and moderately preterm infants were 0.88 (95% CI 0.76-1.02), 0.91 (95% CI 0.82-1.02) and 0.97 (95% CI 0.93-1.01), respectively.
conclusionThis comparative study showed a small reduction in just over 4%, from 6.29 to 6.02% in the proportion of all preterm births during the pandemic period, compared with the previous four pandemic-free years. There were no differences between subcategories of preterm births.
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