Washington, D.C. — A new study has uncovered a significant increase in pregnancy complications during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing a marked rise in gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, and excessive gestational weight gain among pregnant women.
The study, published Wednesday in Epidemiology, highlights the pandemic’s profound impact on maternal health, exacerbating an already troubling trend. Between 2019 and 2021, the U.S. maternal mortality rate increased from approximately 20 deaths per 100,000 live births to nearly 33 per 100,000, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed National Center for Health Statistics data on all live births from 2015 to 2021 to identify trends in maternal health during the pandemic. The findings reveal a significant rise in several pregnancy-related complications during the first two years of the pandemic.
Specifically, the study found that the incidence of gestational diabetes peaked at a 1.7 percentage point increase in December 2020. Hypertensive disorders, including preeclampsia, surged by 1.3 percentage points in January 2021. Additionally, gestational weight gain reached its highest point in March 2021.
The study does not establish causal relationships but suggests possible factors contributing to these increases. For instance, the rise in hypertensive disorders may be associated with COVID-19 infections, particularly during the Delta variant surge in the summer of 2021. “We observed a notable spike around the Delta wave, followed by a decline,” noted Dr. Rita Hamad, Director of Social Policies for Health Equity Research at Harvard and co-author of the study.
The study also indicates that the increase in gestational diabetes and weight gain could be linked to disruptions in access to exercise and healthy food due to pandemic lockdowns and remote work arrangements. Increased stress during the pandemic is also considered a contributing factor.
Despite these challenges, the study identified a positive development: an improvement in prenatal care during part of the pandemic. Researchers observed a decrease in “inadequate prenatal care,” which reached its lowest point in January 2021. “Our hypothesis is that the expansion of telehealth services at the pandemic’s onset may have contributed to this positive trend,” said Dr. Hamad.
This research underscores the pandemic’s complex impact on maternal health and highlights the need for continued investigation into its long-term effects and underlying causes.
