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A recent Dutch study, published in the renowned medical journal The Lancet, shows a large decrease in the number of preterm births following the introduction of infection control measures.
– This is a study confirming previous reports from Denmark and Ireland, among others, that the number of premature babies was greatly reduced when stringent covid-19 measures were introduced in March, says Deputy Health Director Espen Rostrup Nakstad .
The man from the Norwegian Directorate of Health believes that the study is important because one in ten children in the world is born prematurely and because premature birth is the most important cause of death among children.
The Dutch study has used data from about 1.6 million newborns in the Netherlands, including 56,720 babies born after strict infection control measures were introduced in March 2020.
– In the following months, a significant decrease in the number of preterm births was found in weeks 32 to 36 gestational, says Nakstad.
Significant reductions
“Our study confirms findings from previous preliminary studies indicating that there were significant reductions in preterm births after the national introduction of covid-19 measures. International cooperation is needed to collect evidence from around the world to further corroborate these. findings and study the underlying mechanisms. Such an effort may help uncover new opportunities for preventing premature birth with important public health effects, “write the Dutch researchers.
However, researchers cannot give a good explanation for the decline in preterm births.
Nakstad says that in many research settings it has been debated what effects of crown closure may explain why fewer children are born prematurely.
– Many point to better air quality, reduction in infectious diseases and less stress during pregnancy as possible explanations. A calmer lifestyle with less stress is also highlighted as a possible explanation for the fact that the incidence of acute myocardial infarctions has been lower in many countries in the last six months, also in Norway, says Nakstad and elaborates:
– We also see that total mortality in 2020 has clearly decreased in countries that have had a good effect from their infection control measures. This may be due to a combination of a calmer lifestyle with less stress in everyday life, as well as fewer infectious diseases as a result of infection control measures. We look forward to more studies in the future that will shed light on these important health effects of the pandemic, Nakstad says.
Not necessarily positive
Folkeinstituttet (FHI) is currently receiving data from the Norwegian birth registry for a study that they hope will provide further answers.
– This Dutch study shows a large decrease in preterm births, but the database does not allow to say anything about the reason for this, says deputy Siri Eldevik Håberg of the Center for Outstanding Research at FHI and elaborates:
– It may be due to something positive – that less stress, air pollution and fewer infections during the pandemic has led to fewer preterm births – but there may also be signs of something that is not good, such as that the pandemic has led to fewer necessary initiations of births and cesarean section or higher incidence of stillbirth. We don’t know yet, Håberg says.
She believes that the Norwegian study will shed light on the causal connection.
– We have very good data in Norway, says Håberg.
The FHI center also participates in the gigantic international study IPOP, to which they adhere to great expectations.
– It will be able to provide important knowledge about premature births as such, but also in a pandemic situation, says Håberg.
