Comparison of pre-pandemic normal period and COVID-19 pandemic period births: Quantitative outlook

ABSTRACT

Aim: In this study, we aimed to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic has a negative effect on quantitative birth data by comparing it with the prepandemic normal period. Material and Methods: In our tertiary center, 4743 births in the March 2019-February 2020 pre-pandemic normal period were quantitatively compared and analyzed with 4522 births in the March 2020- February 2021 pandemic period. Results: In the pandemic period, the number of births decreased by 4.66% compared to the normal period. The mean gestational week was prolonged during the pandemic period. In pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, there was no statistically significant difference between the mode of delivery, cesarean section type, preterm birth, stillbirth, newborn birth weight and Apgar score (<= 7). Discussion: When we evaluated the annual quantitative data of the normal and pandemic periods, it was seen that the COVID-19 pandemic did not have a significant negative effect on births, except for a slight decrease in the birth rate. However, this does not mean that COVID-19 protection and hygiene measures will be abandoned until the pandemic process is over.