By Tarun Sai LomteReviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLMJul 5 2024 In a recent study published in Communications Medicine, researchers examined the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the incidence of low birth weight in India.
About the study In the present study, researchers evaluated whether birth outcomes were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. They used data from the Indian National Family Health Survey between 2019 and 2021. Related StoriesPregnancy data were available for 232,920 children. Those with missing birth weight data were excluded. Multivariable linear and logistic models assessed the birth weight and LBW outcomes, respectively. The odds of LBW were compared between the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods.
In the pandemic cohort, more children were from rural areas, Hindu households, socially disadvantaged scheduled castes and tribes, and the poorest wealth groups; their mothers were younger and had more years of schooling.