Social distancing and extremely preterm births in the initial COVID-19 pandemic period

Vivek V Shukla; Benjamin A Carper; Namasivayam Ambalavanan; Matthew A Rysavy; Edward F Bell; Abhik Das; Ravi M Patel; Carl T D'Angio; Kristi L Watterberg; C Michael Cotten; Stephanie L Merhar; Myra H Wyckoff; Pablo J Sánchez; Neha Kumbhat; Waldemar A Carlo; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network

doi:10.1038/s41372-024-01898-3

Social distancing and extremely preterm births in the initial COVID-19 pandemic period

J Perinatol. 2024 Feb 22. doi: 10.1038/s41372-024-01898-3. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Vivek V Shukla¹, Benjamin A Carper², Namasivayam Ambalavanan³, Matthew A Rysavy⁴, Edward F Bell⁵, Abhik Das⁶, Ravi M Patel⁷, Carl T D'Angio⁸, Kristi L Watterberg⁹, C Michael Cotten¹⁰, Stephanie L Merhar¹¹, Myra H Wyckoff¹², Pablo J Sánchez¹³, Neha Kumbhat¹⁴, Waldemar A Carlo³; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network

Collaborators

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network:
Richard A Polin, Abbot R Laptook, Martin Keszler, Angelita M Hensman, Elisa Vieira, Lucille St Pierre, Anna Maria Hibbs, Michele C Walsh, Nancy S Newman, Sarah Smucney, Arlene Zadell, Brenda B Poindexter, Kurt Schibler, Cathy Grisby, Kristin Kirker, Sandra Wuertz, Juanita Dudley, Traci Beiersdorfer, Julia Thompson, Ronald N Goldberg, Joanne Finkle, Kimberley A Fisher, Matthew M Laughon, Gennie Bose, Cindy Clark, Stephen D Kicklighter, Donna White, David P Carlton, Yvonne Loggins, Judith Laursen, Colleen Mackie, Diane I Bottcher, Andrew A Bremer, Rosemary D Higgins, Stephanie Wilson Archer, Jon E Tyson, Amir M Khan, Barbara J Stoll, Gabriela Dominguez, Elizabeth Eason, Donna J Hall, Apoorva Mahatme, Karen Martin, Ilse Reyna, Emily K Stephens, Jaleesa Wade, Michelle White, Leif D Nelin, Sudarshan R Jadcherla, Jonathan L Slaughter, Patricia Luzader, Jacqueline McCool, Kyrstin Warnimont, Jessica Purnell, Kristi Small, Melanie Stein, Rox Ann Sullivan, Laura Marzac, Hallie Baugher, Eli Zettler, Bethany Miller, Demi R Beckford, Brittany DeSantis, Rachel Reedy, Marie G Gantz, Carla M Bann, Kristin M Zaterka-Baxter, Jenna Gabrio, David Leblond, Jeanette O'Donnell Auman, Krisa P Van Meurs, David K Stevenson, Valerie Y Chock, M Bethany Ball, Barbara P Recine, Elizabeth N Reichert, Monica V Collins, Shirley S Cosby, Tarah T Colaizy, Heidi M Harmon, Michelle L Baack, Laurie A Hogden, Karen J Johnson, Mendi L Schmelzel, Jacky R Walker, Claire A Goeke, Sarah E Faruqui, Brenda J Coulter, Bailey M Schrimper, Syndney S Jellison, Chelsey Elenkiwich, Megan M Henning, Megan Broadbent, Sarah Van Muyden, Janell Fuller, Robin K Ohls, Sandra Sundquist Beauman, Conra Backstrom Lacy, Mary Hanson, Elizabeth Kuan, Sara B DeMauro, Eric C Eichenwald, Soraya Abbasi, Christine Catts, Aasma S Chaudhary, Megan A Dhawan, Sarvin Ghavam, Toni Mancini, Karen M Puopolo, Jonathan Snyder, Ronnie Guillet, Anne Marie Reynolds, Satyan Lakshminrusimha, Michael G Sacilowski, Mary Rowan, Rosemary Jensen, Rachel Jones, Alison Kent, Diane Prinzing, Ann Marie Scorsone, Kyle Binion, Stephanie Guilford, Constance Orme, Premini Sabaratnam, Daisy Rochez, Emily Li, Jennifer Donato, Luc P Brion, Joanne Duran, Frances Eubanks, Michelle Harrod, Pollieanna Sepulvida, Diana M Vasil, Bradley A Yoder, Mariana Baserga, Stephen D Minton, Mark J Sheffield, Carrie A Rau, Susan Christensen, Kathleen Coleman, Jennifer O Elmont, Barbara L Francom, Jamie Jordan, Manndi C Loertscher, Trisha Marchant, Earl Maxson, Kandace McGrath, Hena G Mickelsen, D Melody Parry, Katherine Tice, Kimberlee Weaver-Lewis, Kathryn D Woodbury

Affiliations

¹ Division of Neonatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. vshukla@uabmc.edu.
² Social, Statistical, and Environmental Sciences Unit, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
³ Division of Neonatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
⁶ Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences Unit, RTI International, Rockville, MD, USA.
⁷ Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
⁸ University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.
⁹ University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
¹² Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
¹³ Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, CA, USA.

PMID: 38388715
DOI: 10.1038/s41372-024-01898-3

Abstract

Hypothesis: Increased social distancing was associated with a lower incidence of extremely preterm live births (EPLB) during the initial COVID-19 pandemic period.

Study design: Prospective study at the NICHD Neonatal Research Network sites comparing EPLB (22^0/7-28^6/7 weeks) and extremely preterm intrapartum stillbirths (EPIS) rates during the pandemic period (March-July, weeks 9-30 of 2020) with the reference period (same weeks in 2018 and 2019), correlating with state-specific social distancing index (SDI).

Results: EPLB and EPIS percentages did not significantly decrease (1.58-1.45%, p = 0.07, and 0.08-0.06%, p = 0.14, respectively). SDI was not significantly correlated with percent change of EPLB (CC = 0.29, 95% CI = -0.12, 0.71) or EPIS (CC = -0.23, 95% CI = -0.65, 0.18). Percent change in mean gestational age was positively correlated with SDI (CC = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.07, 0.91).

Conclusions: Increased social distancing was not associated with change in incidence of EPLB but was associated with a higher gestational age of extremely preterm births.

Gov id: Generic Database: NCT00063063.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00063063

Abstract

Associated data

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