Overview
Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide, but the underlying causes are largely unknown.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, unprecedented reductions in preterm birth rates (up to 90% in Denmark) and very low birth weight (70% in Ireland) have been reported - although data from Nepal show an opposite trend, and increases in stillbirth. It is critical to evaluate these trends globally using high quality data, and to understand the underlying cause(s). Pandemic lockdowns have dramatically impacted maternal workload, access to healthcare, hygiene practices, and air pollution - all of which could impact perinatal outcomes and might differentially affect women in different regions of the world. We will seize the unique opportunity offered by the global COVID-19 pandemic to answer these urgent questions .
In the global iPOP study, we will investigate the impact of pandemic lockdowns on preterm birth and stillbirth, and assess the underlying causative factors.
We are asking:
Whether the pandemic is worsening or unexpectedly improving newborn health, our research will provide critical new information to shape prenatal care strategies throughout (and well beyond) the pandemic.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, unprecedented reductions in preterm birth rates (up to 90% in Denmark) and very low birth weight (70% in Ireland) have been reported - although data from Nepal show an opposite trend, and increases in stillbirth. It is critical to evaluate these trends globally using high quality data, and to understand the underlying cause(s). Pandemic lockdowns have dramatically impacted maternal workload, access to healthcare, hygiene practices, and air pollution - all of which could impact perinatal outcomes and might differentially affect women in different regions of the world. We will seize the unique opportunity offered by the global COVID-19 pandemic to answer these urgent questions .
In the global iPOP study, we will investigate the impact of pandemic lockdowns on preterm birth and stillbirth, and assess the underlying causative factors.
We are asking:
- Is this (really) happening everywhere? - We will assess preterm birth and stillbirth rates around the world to determine if changes during the pandemic lockdown are real and consistent globally, or show regional variation.
- What is the reason? - We will determine if regional changes in preterm birth or stillbirth during lockdown are related to regional differences in the stringency or type of lockdown measures, maternity leave policies, maternity care practices, or air pollution.
- Are all pregnancies affected? - We will explore whether these relationships depend on a mother’s age, race, socioeconomic status, healthcare usage, pre-existing health conditions or pregnancy complications.
Whether the pandemic is worsening or unexpectedly improving newborn health, our research will provide critical new information to shape prenatal care strategies throughout (and well beyond) the pandemic.
Our Team
We have assembled a collaborative international team across 37 countries (so far!) - involving over 100 researchers with rapidly accessible perinatal data. Our team includes neonatologists, obstetricians, epidemiologists, public health researchers, and environmental scientists. Together, we will leverage the most disruptive and widespread ‘natural experiment’ of our lifetime to catalyse rapid discoveries about preterm birth, stillbirth and perinatal health. Read more about the iPOP Team.
Join Us!
The more centers we include, the more we can learn! If you have access to perinatal data (birth rates, gestational age and/or birth weight) at a national, regional or institutional level during the pandemic lockdown and 5 years prior, and would like to join the iPOP team, please contact Nicole Fiorentino with the subject line "Join iPOP" at nicole.fiorentino@umanitoba.ca.
