Previous studies suggest lower rates of preterm birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a setting with low disease rates and strict restrictions, we followed women from conception and found a significant reduction in preterm birth that was driven by lower rates of spontaneous prematurity and stronger in women with a previous preterm birth. What are the clinical implications of this work?Women exposed to strict restrictions to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic had lower preterm birth rates than women who were not exposed. Such reduction is more substantial in women with a previous preterm birth, who are likely to benefit from any potential interventions resulting from this observation.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Background Community lockdowns during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may influence preterm birth rates, but mechanisms are unclear. Methods We compared neonatal outcomes of preterm infants born to mothers exposed to community lockdowns in 2020 (exposed group) to those born in 2019 (control group). Main outcome studied was composite of significant neonatal morbidity or death. Results Median gestational age was 35 + 4 weeks (295 infants, exposed group) vs. 35 + 0 weeks (347 infants, control group) (p = 0.108). The main outcome occurred in 36/295 (12.2%) infants in exposed group vs. 46/347 (13.3%) in control group (p = 0.69). Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use, jaundice requiring phototherapy, hypoglycaemia requiring treatment, early neonatal white cell and neutrophil counts were significantly reduced in the exposed group. Conclusions COVID-19 community lockdowns did not alter composite neonatal outcomes in preterm infants, but reduced rates of some common outcomes as well as early neonatal inflammatory markers.