Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39642534›Full record

SynthesisPublic health2025

The impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on neonatal health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Patrick J Arena, Jane Bandak, Christie Y Jeon, Adva Gadoth, Nicole A Hoff, Dalau Mukadi Nkamba, Roch A Nianogo, Thomas R Belin, Karin Nielsen-Saines, Didine Kaba and 1 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Patrick J ArenaDepartment of Epidemiology, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: patarena@ucla.edu.
Jane BandakDepartment of Epidemiology, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Christie Y JeonDepartment of Epidemiology, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Adva GadothDepartment of Epidemiology, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Nicole A HoffDepartment of Epidemiology, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Dalau Mukadi NkambaKinshasa School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Roch A NianogoDepartment of Epidemiology, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; California Center for Population Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Thomas R BelinDepartment of Biostatistics, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Karin Nielsen-SainesDepartment of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Didine KabaKinshasa School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Anne W RimoinDepartment of Epidemiology, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Funding

UCLA Clinical Translational Science InstituteUL1TR001881 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI ARLEEN F. BROWN, ARASH NAEIM · 2016 to 2026
$118.1M
Emerging and Re-Emerging Pathogens Research Training Program in DRC (EREP-RTP-DRC)D43TW012736 · FIC · INSTITUT NATIONAL / RECHERCHE BIOMEDICAL · PI Jean-Jacques Tamfum Muyembe-Tamfum, JEAN BISIMWA NACHEGA · 2024 to 2026
$972k
BIOMEDICAL INFORMATION DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAD43TW001081 · FIC · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI TAHA, TAHA E · 1998 to 2003
$435k
Infant Immunologic and Neurologic Development following Maternal Infection in Pregnancy during Recent EpidemicsR56AI172252 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI JUNG, JAE U, NIELSEN, KARIN · 2023 to 2023
$370k
FIC NIH HHS D43 TW012736NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001881NIAID NIH HHS R56 AI172252
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo assess the relationship between COVID-19 mitigation measures and stillbirth, low birth weight (LBW), and preterm birth (PTB) in sub-Saharan Africa. STUDY

designSystematic review/meta-analysis.

methodsWe searched six databases for literature indexed from January 2020 to December 2022 for studies examining COVID-19 policies and neonatal outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. These studies were assessed for their risk of bias and described via narrative synthesis. Meta-analysis with random effects was performed to generate risk ratios (RRs) that were stratified by study scope to explore heterogeneity.

resultsOur search identified 515 unique studies, sixteen of which were included. Most studies were multi-/single-center examinations (n = 7) and national/regional investigations (n = 6). The stillbirth RR suggested a marginal increase during mitigation measures (RR: 1.13; 95 % CI: 0.97, 1.31); however, among national/regional studies, there was no increase (RR: 0.96; 95 % CI: 0.82, 1.14). Similarly, the LBW RR suggested an increase during mitigation measures (RR: 1.18; 95 % CI: 0.90, 1.56), but the RR among national/regional investigations indicated no increase (RR: 0.97; 95 % CI: 0.91, 1.04). For PTB, the RR indicated no increase during mitigation measures (RR: 1.00; 95 % CI: 0.94, 1.07); there were no differences between multi-/single-center examinations and national/regional investigations.

conclusionsOur results suggest that outcome risk did not change after mitigation measures were imposed when focusing on national/regional investigations and provide insights for both African health officials and researchers.

Indexed as

COVID-19Infant HealthStillbirthAfrica South of the SaharaFemaleHumansInfant, Low Birth WeightInfant, NewbornPregnancyPremature BirthCOVID-19 policiesLow birth weightPreterm birthStillbirthSub-Saharan Africa

Identifiers

PMID39642534
PMCPMC11929597

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.