Trends in Adverse Birth Outcomes: Variations by Race and COVID-19 Exposure

The COVID-19 pandemic has had unprecedented impacts on the health and well-being of millions of New Jersey residents through direct exposure to the virus, the loss of loved ones, and the seemingly ubiquitous life strains of the “COVID Era.” In a recent study of provisional vital statistics data for births occurring in the central region of New Jersey published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal (McFarland et al., 2021), our research team demonstrated that rates of postpartum depressive symptoms were higher during the pandemic than pre-pandemic levels. In an effort to extend this work, we are applying for funding to link New Jersey birth, mortality, hospital, and communicable disease data to formally assess whether adverse birth outcomes (rates of low birth weight, infant mortality, and fetal loss) vary according to direct and vicarious exposure to COVID-19. We would also like compare adverse birth outcomes for the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods overall, by race, and by regional COVID-19 transmission rates. With these aims in mind, we would like to address four research questions. First, do direct and vicarious exposures to COVID-19 increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes? Second, did overall rates of adverse outcomes rise during the pandemic? Third, did rates of adverse birth outcomes rise in the subpopulations of black and white women? Finally, were pre-pandemic and pandemic trends in adverse birth outcomes more pronounced in the regions with the highest COVID-19 transmission rates?

This project is funded in memory of Colette Lamothe-Galette, former Deputy Commissioner of the NJ Department of Health who was a lifelong champion for improving maternal health and birth outcomes and child health equity until her passing in April 2020.