Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40307433›Full record

SynthesisNature human behaviour2025

The association of COVID-19 lockdowns with adverse birth and pregnancy outcomes in 28 high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Iona Hindes, Hawa Nuralhuda Sarwar, Benjamin Y Gravesteijn, Jennifer Jardine, Lizbeth Burgos-Ochoa, Jasper V Been, Dominik Zenner, Stamatina Iliodromiti

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

Synthesis in Nature human behaviour, 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

8 authors.

Iona HindesWomen's Health Research Unit, Centre for Public Health and Policy, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University London, London, UK. i.hindes@qmul.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6148-2176
Hawa Nuralhuda SarwarWomen's Health Research Unit, Centre for Public Health and Policy, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University London, London, UK.
Benjamin Y GravesteijnAmsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Jennifer JardineWomen's Health Research Unit, Centre for Public Health and Policy, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9932-6865
Lizbeth Burgos-OchoaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Jasper V BeenDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4907-6466
Dominik ZennerGlobal Public Health Unit, Centre for Public Health and Policy, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9200-6180
Stamatina IliodromitiWomen's Health Research Unit, Centre for Public Health and Policy, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University London, London, UK.

Funding

DH | National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) C007
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to review the association of lockdowns with adverse birth and pregnancy outcomes (ABPOs) and related inequalities, in high-income countries (HICs). Databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science) were searched from 1 January 2019 to 22 June 2023 for original observational studies based in HICs that compared the rates of ABPOs, before and during lockdowns. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa tool for cohort studies. We ran random-effects meta-analyses and subgroup analyses per region, lockdown period, ethnicity group and deprivation level and adjusted for underlying temporal trends. A total of 132 studies were meta-analysed from 28 HICs. Reduced rates of preterm birth (reported by 26 studies) were associated with the first lockdown (relative risk 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.93-0.99), 11 studies adjusted for long-term trends and the association remained (0.97, 0.95-0.99), and subgroup analysis found that this association varied by continental region. Ten studies reported positive screening rates for possible depression antenatally, and lockdown was associated with increases in positive screening rates (1.37, 1.06-1.78). No other ABPOs were associated with lockdowns. Investigation of inequalities was limited due to data availability and heterogeneity; further research is warranted on the effect of lockdowns on health inequalities. This study was funded by the National Institute of Health Research, School of Primary Care Research and registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022327448).

Indexed as

COVID-19Developed CountriesPregnancy OutcomePremature BirthQuarantineFemaleHumansPregnancySARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID40307433
PMCPMC12283399

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.