Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal care and outcomes: A retrospective study in a tertiary hospital in Northern Ghana

Alhassan Abdul-Mumin, Kingsley Appiah Bimpong, Cesia Cotache-Condor, Jonathan Oppong, Ana Maria Simono Charadan, Adam Munkaila, Joao Vitor Perez de Souza and Emily R Smith

PLOS ONE, 2024, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: Background: Perinatal mortality remains a global challenge. This challenge may be worsened by the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child health. Objectives: Examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal care and outcomes in the Tamale Teaching Hospital in northern Ghana. Methods: A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted in the Tamale Teaching Hospital. We compared antenatal care attendance, total deliveries, cesarean sections, and perinatal mortality before the COVID-19 pandemic (March 1, 2019 to February 28, 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021). Interrupted time series analyses was performed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal care and outcomes at TTH. Results: A total number of 35,350 antenatal visits and 16,786 deliveries were registered at TTH from March 2019 to February 2021. Antenatal care, early neonatal death, and emergency cesarean section showed a rapid decline after the onset of the pandemic, with a progressive recovery over the following months. The total number of deliveries and fresh stillbirths showed a step change with a marked decrease during the pandemic, while the macerated stillbirths showed a pulse change, a temporary marked decrease with a quick recovery over time. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on perinatal care and outcomes in our facility. Pregnancy monitoring through antenatal care should be encouraged and continued even as countries tackle the pandemic.

Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0301081

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301081

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