Background The Covid-19 pandemic response is influencing maternal and neonatal health care services especially in developing countries. However, the indirect effects of Covid-19 on pregnancy outcomes remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to compare pregnancy outcomes before and after the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in Iran. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 2,503 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies, admitted to the maternity department of a women’s hospital in Tehran, Iran, during the pre-Covid-19 pandemic (February 19 to April 19, 2019) and the intra-Covid- 19 pandemic (February 19 to April 19, 2020) period. Results We included 2,503 women admitted to the hospital; 1,287 (51.4 %) were admitted before the Covid-19 lockdown and 1,216 (48.6 %) during the Covid-19 lockdown. There were no significant differences in stillbirth rates ( p = 0.584) or pregnancy complications (including preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension and gestational diabetes) ( p = 0.115) between pregnant women in the pre- and intra-pandemic periods. However, decreases in preterm births ( p = 0.001), and low birth weight ( p = 0.005) were observed in the pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period. No significant difference in the mode of delivery, and no maternal deaths were observed during the two time periods. Conclusions In our study we observed a decrease in preterm births and low birth weight, no change in stillbirths, and a rise in the admission rates of mothers to the ICU during the initial Covid-19 lockdown period compared to pre-Covid-19 lockdown period. Further research will be needed to devise plan for immediate post-pandemic care and future health care crises.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19 pandemic, Maternal outcomes, Neonatal outcomes, 【초록키워드】 pandemic, Health care, lockdown, COVID-19 pandemic, hospital, diabetes, outcome, hypertension, ICU, preeclampsia, pregnant women, Iran, Pregnancy, Preterm birth, Birth weight, Low birth weight, Stillbirth, Health, Research, death, Retrospective analysis, Complication, women, pregnancy complications, preterm births, Admission, Care, mother, Gestational diabetes, Neonatal, medical records, medical record, maternal deaths, pregnancy-induced hypertension, significant difference, no significant differences, no significant difference, mode, indirect effects, plan, pregnancies, Tehran, decrease, initial, Result, performed, indirect effect, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19, lockdown, outcome, change,