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Children and COVID-19 Research Library

UNICEF Innocenti's curated library of COVID-19 + Children research

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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal services and maternal mental health in the UK

AUTHOR(S)
Lorraine S. Kasaven; Isabel Raynaud; Maria Jalmbrant (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: BJPsych Open

COVID-19 has created many challenges for women in the perinatal phase. This stems from prolonged periods of lockdowns, restricted support networks and media panic, alongside altered healthcare provision. This study aimed to review the evidence regarding the psychological impact on new and expecting mothers following changes to antenatal and postnatal service provision within the UK throughout the pandemic. It conducted a narrative literature search of major databases (PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar). The literature was critically reviewed by experts within the field of antenatal and perinatal mental health.

The COVID-19 pandemic: implications for maternal mental health and early childhood development

AUTHOR(S)
Bonnie D. Kerker; Erica Willheim; J. Rebecca Weis (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: American Journal of Health Promotion
Women are particularly susceptible to mental health challenges during the perinatal period. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, much concern was raised about the impact that the associated isolation, uncertainty, grief, loss and economic upheaval would have on mental health. Women experienced a disproportionate amount of environmental strain during this time, including economic stress and challenges associated with being essential workers; stressors were perhaps most prevalent in communities of color and immigrant groups. For women who were pregnant during the height of the pandemic, it is clear that stress, anxiety, and depression were increased due to changes in medical care and decreases in social support. Increased mental health challenges in the perinatal period have been shown to impact social-emotional, cognitive and behavioral health in infants and children, so the potential consequences of the COVID-19 era are great. This paper discusses these potential impacts and describes important pathways for future research.
The impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women and children: recommendations for health promotion

AUTHOR(S)
Whitney Perkins Witt; Nicole Harlaar; Ashley Palmer (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: American Journal of Health Promotion
COVID-19 continues to have severe repercussions on children and pregnant women. The repercussions include not only the direct impact of COVID-19 (ie, children getting infected by COVID-19) but also indirect impacts (eg, safeguarding from child maltreatment, obesogenic behaviors, language and socioemotional development, educational consequences [eg, interrupted learning]; social isolation; mental health; behavioral health [eg, increased substance use in adolescence]; health and economic impact of COVID-19 on caregivers and family relationships. It has also shed light on long-standing structural and socioeconomic issues, including equity in nutrition and food security, housing, childcare, and internet access. Using a socioecological, life course, and population health approach, this study discusses the implications for pregnant women and children’s health and well-being and give recommendations for mitigating the short and long-term deleterious impact COVID- 19 on women, children, and their families.
Maternal psychopathological profile during childbirth and neonatal development during the COVID-19 pandemic: a pre-posttest study

AUTHOR(S)
Sergio Martinez-Vazquez; Blanca Riquelme-Gallego; Leydi Jhoansy Lugo-Toro (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Behavioral Sciences
The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 generated an alert that became a state of emergency in health issues worldwide, a situation that affected the entire population, including pregnant women. The present study aims to understand the effect of the psychopathological profile of a sample of pregnant women at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic on themselves during childbirth (Phase 1) and after childbirth and the anthropometric measures of the neonate at birth (Phase 2). The total sample comprises 81 pregnant women aged 32.07 years (SD = 5.45) and their neonates. Sociodemographic and obstetric data of the sample were collected. During pregnancy, psychopathology was measured by means of the SCL-90, as well as other psychological measures on stress and social support. Cluster k-means techniques were used to uncover the heterogeneous profiles of psychopathology in Phase 1.
Impact of prenatal COVID-19 vaccination on delivery and neonatal outcomes: results from a New York City cohort

AUTHOR(S)
Erona Ibroci; Xiaoqin Liu; Whitney Lieb (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Vaccine
Research suggest prenatal vaccination against coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is safe. However, previous studies utilized retrospectively collected data or examined late pregnancy vaccinations. This study investigated the associations of COVID-19 vaccination throughout pregnancy with delivery and neonatal outcomes. It included 1,794 mother-neonate dyads enrolled in the Generation C Study with known prenatal COVID-19 vaccination status and complete covariate and outcome data. It used multivariable quantile regressions to estimate the effect of prenatal COVID-19 vaccination on birthweight, delivery gestational age, and blood loss at delivery; and Poisson generalized linear models for Caesarean delivery (CD) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission.
Magnitude and determinants of food insecurity among pregnant women in Rwanda during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Erigene Rutayisire; Michael Habtu; Nicholas Ngomi (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Journal of Agriculture and Food Research

Globally, food insecurity is becoming a major public health concern, and has seriously been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last decade, Rwanda has made significant improvement in terms of overall household food security. However, the magnitude of food insecurity among pregnant women is not well known. This study investigated the magnitude and factors associated with food insecurity among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in 30 health facilities across the country where a total of 1159 pregnant women in their first trimester of pregnancy were recruited during antenatal care visits (ANC).

Risk of postpartum depression during COVID-19 outbreak and its associated risk factors

AUTHOR(S)
Deniz Akyıldız; Aysenur Gucyılmaz

Published: December 2022   Journal: Journal of the Dow University of Health Sciences
The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) and related factors following the COVID-19 outbreak among women in Istanbul, Turkey. This cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2020 to September 2021 in Istanbul Teaching and Research Hospital in Istanbul with 316 women at 4–6 weeks postpartum. It included women who spoke and understood Turkish and were ≥ 18 years of age. It collected the research data online, using an information form, the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale.
Mothers' impressions and beliefs about taking a booster dose for COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy and lactation

AUTHOR(S)
Esra' O. Taybeh; Rawan Alsharedeh; Shereen Hamadneh

Published: December 2022   Journal: Cureus

This study aimed to explore perceptions and willingness to get coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) booster vaccination among pregnant and lactating women in Jordan. A cross-sectional study using a 29-item web-based questionnaire was conducted. Sociodemographic characteristics, vaccine acceptance, confidence in the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine, perception of risk for COVID-19, and acceptance to participate in COVID-19 booster vaccine clinical trials were prospectively evaluated. Logistic regression was used to identify factors that might affect the participants’ acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine and their willingness to enroll in clinical trials of a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Giving birth in unpredictable conditions: association between parents' COVID-19 related concerns, family functioning, dyadic coping, perceived social support and depressive symptoms

AUTHOR(S)
Theano Kokkinaki; Katerina Koutra; Olga Michopoulou (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: Healthcare
The way postpartum parents’ COVID-19-related concerns are associated with the family environment, support resources and depressive symptoms areunder-investigated. Two hundred and forty-three new parents (132 mothers, 111 fathers) completed self-report questionnaires within an 8-week period after birth. Parental concerns for COVID-19-related life changes were assessed with the COVID-19 Questionnaire, perceived social support with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, perceived family functioning with the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales IV Package, dyadic coping behaviors with the Dyadic Coping Inventory and maternal/paternal postnatal depression with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.
COVID-19: impact of original, gamma, delta, and omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant and postpartum women

AUTHOR(S)
Fabiano Elisei Serra; Elias Ribeiro Rosa Junior; Patricia de Rossi (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: Vaccines
This study compares the clinical characteristics and disease progression among vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant and postpartum women who tested positive for different variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) using the Brazilian epidemiological data. Data of pregnant or postpartum patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and presenting with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from February 2020 to July 2022 were extracted from Brazilian national database. The patients were grouped based on vaccination status and viral variant (original, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron variants), and their demographics, clinical characteristics, comorbidities, symptoms, and outcomes were compared retrospectively. Data of 10,003 pregnant and 2361 postpartum women were extracted from the database. For unvaccinated postpartum women, intensive care unit (ICU) admission was more likely; invasive ventilation need was more probable if they tested positive for the original, Gamma, and Omicron variants; and chances of death were higher when infected with the original and Gamma variants than when infected with other variants. Vaccinated patients had reduced adverse outcome probability, including ICU admission, invasive ventilation requirement, and death. Postpartum women showed worse outcomes, particularly when unvaccinated, than pregnant women. Hence, vaccination of pregnant and postpartum women should be given top priority.
The effect of pregnant women's health-seeking behavior and preference for mode of birth on pregnancy distress during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Songül Aktaş; Ruveyde Aydın; Dilek Kaloğlu Binici

Published: December 2022   Journal: Health Care for Women International
In this study, the researchers investigated to the impact of pregnant women’s health-seeking behavior and mode of birth preferences on pregnancy distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted with 351 pregnant women. The risk rate of pregnancy distress using the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale (TPDS) cut-off point was 16.5%. 13.3% of pregnant women changed their mode of birth preferences due to the pandemic. The risk of pregnancy distress in women who changed their mode of birth preferences due to the pandemic increased 5.4 times more than in those who preferred vaginal birth before and during the pandemic (OR: 5.4, p<0.001).
Postpartum depression crisis since the second lockdown and 'screening paradox': many women identified, very few treated

AUTHOR(S)
Magdalena Chrzan-Dętkoś; Tamara Walczak-Kozłowska

Published: December 2022   Journal: BMC Public Health
Exposure to stressful situations, such as emergencies, infectious diseases, and natural disasters, may lead to a heightened risk of perinatal mental health problems. Declared on March 11th, 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic triggered an additional burden on women in the perinatal period. Safety recommendations, such as social distancing and isolation, were opposite to the usual advice given to new mothers. Besides fear, changes in financial stability and daily life reorganization contributed to increased depressive symptoms. As the periods of epidemic waves and lockdowns were associated with a more significant burden for young families, we aimed to assess the intensification of depressive and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic concerning the time intervals of the three lockdowns introduced in Poland. 1588 postpartum women took part in the online self-assessment with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and General Anxiety Disorder 2 (GAD-2) questionnaire between January 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. This self-screening is a part of a prevention program The Next Stop: Mum, implemented in the North of Poland.
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among Pregnant women in Northern Bangladesh: a community-based cross-sectional study

AUTHOR(S)
Homyra Tasnim; Md. Bony Amin; Nitai Roy (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: Behavioral Sciences
COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, remains a global public health concern despite the availability of effective antiviral treatment against multiple strains. Studies have shown that pregnant women are more susceptible to COVID-19 due to altered physiology and immunological features. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate pregnant women’s knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) to prevent COVID-19 and determine the factors associated with KAP. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 425 pregnant women in Northern Bangladesh. The samples were obtained using a simple random sampling technique from 5 April to 15 June 2020. The data were collected by face-to-face survey with a structured and pre-tested questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed, and p-values < 0.05 at 95% CI were considered statistically significant.
Cite this research | Open access | Vol.: 13 | Issue: 1 | No. of pages: 14 | Language: English | Topics: Health | Tags: COVID-19, disease prevention, infectious disease, pandemic, pregnancy, pregnant women | Countries: Bangladesh
COVID-19-related attitude and risk perception among pregnant women attending antenatal care, and the associated factors, at public health facilities of East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia, 2020: a multi-center cross-sectional study

AUTHOR(S)
Keralem Anteneh Bishaw; Yibelu Bazezew Bitewa; Mamaru Getie Fetene (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: Journal of Public Health

This study aimed to assess COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019)-related attitude and risk perception among pregnant women attending antenatal care, and the associated factors, at public health facilities of the East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia. A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted, from December 1–30, 2020. A total of 847 pregnant women were included in the study using a simple random sampling technique. To collect the data, we used an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Bi-variable and multi-variable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with pregnancy-related anxiety. A p-value of < 0.05 with a 95% confidence level was used to declare statistical significance.

Worries, beliefs and factors influencing perinatal COVID-19 vaccination: a cross-sectional survey of preconception, pregnant and lactating individuals

AUTHOR(S)
Serine Ramlawi; Katherine A. Muldoon; Sandra I. Dunn (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: BMC Public Health

COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for pregnant and lactating individuals, and there is substantial evidence for their safety and effectiveness. As the pandemic continues, information on worries and beliefs surrounding perinatal COVID-19 vaccination remains important to inform efforts aimed at improving vaccine uptake. Our objectives were to assess factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination among perinatal individuals; and to explore motivational factors associated with willingness to be vaccinated among unvaccinated perinatal individuals. This was a cross-sectional web-based survey of preconception, pregnant, and lactating individuals in Canada. The outcomes of interest were vaccination with at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine and willingness to be vaccinated among unvaccinated individuals. Sample characteristics were summarized using frequencies and percentages. The association between eight prespecified risk factors and two outcomes (vaccination status and willingness to be vaccinated) was assessed by logistic regression. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for the total sample, and across perinatal sub-groups.

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COVID-19 & Children: Rapid Research Response

UNICEF Innocenti is mobilizing a rapid research response in line with UNICEF’s global response to the COVID-19 crisis. The initiatives we’ve begun will provide the broad range of evidence needed to inform our work to scale up rapid assessment, develop urgent mitigating strategies in programming and advocacy, and preparation of interventions to respond to the medium and longer-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. The research projects cover a rapid review of evidence, education analysis, and social and economic policies.