In Nigeria, Stillbirths And Newborn Deaths Increased During The COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has put severe pressure on health care systems worldwide. Although attention has been focused on COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, some experts have warned about potentially devastating secondary health effects. These effects may be most severe in low- and middle-income countries with already weak health care systems. This study examines the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on early infant deaths, a question that is currently unsettled. We present new evidence from Nigeria showing that early infant deaths have significantly increased during the pandemic. Using data on the birth outcomes of a large and diverse cohort of pregnant women enrolled in a prospective study and a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design, we found a 1.1-percentage-point (22 percen

SUBMITTER: Okeke EN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12501791 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature