Effect of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on feto-maternal outcome: A multi-centric, cross-sectional, secondary data analysis from West Bengal, India

Background Maternal distress during pregnancy can affect the child as well as the mother. Objective The aim of this study was to find out if there was any change in feto-maternal indicators-proportion of anemia among women admitted for delivery, proportion of stillborns, and low birth weight status of the newborns. Materials and Methods In this observational study with cross-sectional design, record-based analysis was undertaken for the pregnancies delivered during January–March 2021. The data (age, gestational age, hemoglobin, blood pressure, and birth weight of the child) were collected from the labor room register of two government medical colleges - College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital (CoMSDH), Kamarhati, North 24 Parganas and Deben Mahato Government Medical College and Hospital (DMGMCH), Purulia. For historical comparison, data of January–March 2020 were used from the same institutes. Odds ratio was calculated for maternal anemia, hypertension, and low birth weight of newborn adjusted for age of the mother and gestational period of the pregnancy using binary logistic regression. Results Adjusted odds ratio for maternal hypertension, anemia, and low birth weight of newborn was 1.34 (0.89, 2.01), 1.29 (1.05, 1.58), and 1.09 (0.83, 1.43) in CoMSDH and 1.32 (1.16, 1.49), 1.48 (1.33, 1.65), and 0.96 (0.86, 1.07) in DMGMCH, respectively. Conclusion Maternal anemia at the time of delivery increased in both the institutes; however, birth weight of the newborn did not show any such changes. The period of pandemic and unforeseen lockdown seems to have affected maternal health but not the fetal health.