1. Increasing Preterm Delivery and Small for Gestational Age Trends in South Carolina during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
- Author
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Chundru KJ, Korte JE, Wen CC, Neelon B, Wilson DA, Mateus J, Pearce JL, Alkis M, Finneran M, Simpson S, Florez H, Hunt KJ, and Malek AM
- Subjects
- Humans, South Carolina epidemiology, Female, Retrospective Studies, Infant, Newborn, Pregnancy, Adult, SARS-CoV-2, Young Adult, Pandemics, COVID-19 epidemiology, Infant, Small for Gestational Age, Premature Birth epidemiology
- Abstract
Preterm delivery (PTD) complications are a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. We aimed to assess trends in PTD and small for gestational age (SGA) and whether trends varied between race-ethnic groups in South Carolina (SC). We utilized 2015-2021 SC vital records linked to hospitalization and emergency department records. PTD was defined as clinically estimated gestation less than (<) 37 weeks (wks.) with subgroup analyses of PTD < 34 wks. and < 28 wks. SGA was defined as infants weighing below the 10th percentile for gestational age. This retrospective study included 338,532 (243,010 before the COVID-19 pandemic and 95,522 during the pandemic) live singleton births of gestational age ≥ 20 wks. born to 260,276 mothers in SC. Generalized estimating equations and a change-point during the first quarter of 2020 helped to assess trends. In unadjusted analyses, pre-pandemic PTD showed an increasing trend that continued during the pandemic (relative risk (RR) = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.06). PTD < 34 wks. rose during the pandemic (RR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02-1.12) with a significant change in the slope. Trends in SGA varied by race and ethnicity, increasing only in Hispanics (RR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.04) before the pandemic. Our study reveals an increasing prevalence of PTD and a rise in PTD < 34 wks. during the pandemic, as well as an increasing prevalence of SGA in Hispanics during the study period.
- Published
- 2024
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