Can COVID-19 lockdown be the reason behind decreased premature births?

Media reports suggest that doctors from several countries including Denmark and Ireland have witnessed a drastic drop in the rate of premature births during the COVID-19 lockdown. Find out the link between lockdown and low premature deliveries.

Written By: Saswati Sarkar | Published : August 15, 2020 3:33 PM IST

COVID-19 lockdown, it seems, may have one more positive effect, apart from bringing down environmental pollution. According to media reports, neonatal intensive care units in hospitals across several countries have witnessed a rather pleasantly surprising trend during the lockdown phase: Premature births have dropped significantly during this time. A delivery is defined as premature when it occurs before the start of the 37^th week of pregnancy. It is not considered to be a full-term pregnancy which lasts for 40 weeks.

Initially, doctors from Ireland and Denmark shared their observations about this sudden depletion in the rate of premature delivery during COVID-19 lockdown. While Denmark witnessed a 90 per cent drop in the rate of premature deliveries during its lockdown phase, the University Maternity Hospital Limerick in Ireland observed that the number of preemies with low birth weight decreased by 73 percent between January to April when compared to the corresponding period of the previous two decades. A similar phenomenon has been observed in parts of Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands as well. The study which published these findings is yet to be peer-reviewed and has been posted only on preprint servers, meaning, that these are only preliminary reports which shouldn't be the guiding principles behind any clinical decision or practice.

COVID-19 lockdown and decreased premature births: What's the link?

Doctors haven't yet been able to figure out how lockdown influenced the drop in premature deliveries. However, they speculate that certain factor specific to this phase may be the contributing factors. Here is a summary of what experts are guessing:

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Being locked up at home, pregnant women have been able to safeguard themselves from a few viral infections which are known to increase the risk of premature birth.
It has also been found that lockdown has significantly reduced the levels of air pollution, another major culprit behind premature delivery.
Though lockdown may have increased stress and other mental health challenges for many, for some, it has come as a boon, ensuring more rest and family support. The period of house arrest has also reduced their work and commuting stress. This may also have been one of the reasons behind low premature births during lockdown, suggest experts.

Though more research is required to reach a conclusive opinion, these findings can work as potential hints for doctors and would-be parents in helping them understand the culprits behind premature delivery in a much better way and preventing them too.

Ways to prevent premature labour

There are many factors that can increase a woman's risk of experiencing premature labour and therefore, giving birth to a pre-term baby. Make sure you follow these healthy habits during your gestational period and reduce your risk of premature delivery:

Avoid smoking and drinking while pregnant.
Pregnancy comes not only with a sense of joy. It can give you stress as well. Discuss with your partner and close ones about what's worrying you. Take professional help if need be. Remember, stress can induce premature labour.
Pre-existing health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, urinary tract infections, or blood clotting issues can increase your chances of giving birth to a pre-term baby. So, make sure that these diseases are well-controlled during the course of pregnancy. In fact, it's even better to keep monitoring these health conditions and keeping them in check while you are planning a family.
Maintain good hygiene practices to keep viral infections at bay. They can also trigger premature labour.
Avoiding or at least reducing exposure to environmental toxins and pollution can also decrease your chances of premature delivery.

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