Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39930734›Full record

ArticleJournal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition2025

Incidence of biliary atresia in the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yasmeen Z Qwaider, Justin Z Amarin, Andrew J Spieker, Haya Hayek, James D Chappell, Natasha B Halasa, Harold N Lovvorn

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

7 authors.

Yasmeen Z QwaiderDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0911-0612
Justin Z AmarinDivision of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4484-1077
Andrew J SpiekerDepartment of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Haya HayekDivision of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
James D ChappellDivision of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Natasha B HalasaDivision of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Harold N LovvornDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Funding

Vanderbilt Infection Pathogenesis and Epidemiology Research Training ProgramT32AI007474 · NIAID · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI KALAMS, SPYROS A · 1995 to 2025
$6.9M
NIAID NIH HHS T32 AI007474None
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe etiology of biliary atresia (BA) is unclear and potentially involves viral triggers. We aimed to compare the incidence of BA in the United States before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, focusing on potential associations with viral circulation disruptions caused by nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).

methodsWe queried the Pediatric Health Information System® (PHIS) for all patients discharged with BA between January 1, 2010, and January 31, 2024. Using CDC WONDER, we calculated monthly and overall incidence rates of BA per 1,000,000 live births. We fit a Poisson regression model to assess the association between the widespread implementation of stay-at-home orders (using April 1, 2020, as the cutoff date) and the incidence of BA, accounting for national natality fluctuations.

resultsWe identified 3456 newborns with BA from 42 hospitals; 2997 (86.7%) were born before and 459 (13.3%) were born during the pandemic. The mean monthly number of newborns with BA was 24.0 (95% confidence interval, 23.0-25.0) for an overall incidence rate of 74.4 (71.5-77.4) per 1,000,000 live births. We did not identify a statistically significant year-to-year contrast in the incidence of BA before (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.995 [0.983-1.008]; p = 0.49) or after the cutoff date (IRR = 0.999 [0.895-1.116]; p = 0.99). In addition, we did not identify sufficient evidence that trends differed between the two periods (IRR = 1.004 [0.893-1.128]; p = 0.95). [Correction added on 26 February 2025, after the first online publication: The point estimate for the IRR has been updated to 1.004.]

conclusionsThe NPIs implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic were not significantly associated with changes in the incidence or temporal pattern of BA.

Indexed as

Biliary AtresiaCOVID-19FemaleHumansIncidenceInfant, NewbornMalePandemicsSARS-CoV-2United Statescommunicable disease controlepidemiologyhealth information systemsnewborns

Identifiers

PMID39930734
PMCPMC12133640

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Registered trials

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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.