COVID-19 Disruption and Maternal and Child Health Services: Evidence from India.

IF 1.7 4区医学 Q3 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Maternal and Child Health Journal Pub Date : 2025-09-01 Epub Date: 2025-07-16 DOI:10.1007/s10995-025-04134-2

Ambrish Dongre, Mitul Surana

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze the impact of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns on maternal and child health services in India and investigate whether certain population groups that are disadvantaged along social, economic and geographical dimensions experienced differential impacts.

Methods: Utilizing an unintended disruption in the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS V) due to nationwide COVID-19 related lockdown, we create a sample of children and mothers who were 'exposed' to COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, and those who were not 'exposed'. We use multivariable regression to examine whether and to what extent antenatal care, pregnancy and post-pregnancy care of the 'exposed' mothers and children were adversely impacted as compared to those who were 'unexposed'.

Results: The 'exposed' mothers were less likely to receive two tetanus injections, and iron folic acid tablets during pregnancy, and were less likely to stay in medical facility for 48 hours post-delivery as recommended by the government guidelines. More critically, 'exposed' children had lower probability of receiving immunizations due at birth, 6-weeks, 10-weeks, and 14-weeks, with the magnitude of decline increasing for successive immunizations. The impacts were even more adverse in rural areas as reflected in heterogeneity analysis.

Conclusions: COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns adversely affected MCH services in India, and even more so in rural India. Policy interventions targeted specifically at groups who were impacted would be needed to restore MCH services to pre-pandemic levels.

Clinical trial registration: Not Applicable.

查看原文本刊更多论文

COVID-19中断与妇幼保健服务：来自印度的证据。

目的：分析2019冠状病毒病和随后的封锁对印度妇幼保健服务的影响，并调查在社会、经济和地理层面处于不利地位的某些人群是否受到了不同的影响。方法：利用因全国COVID-19相关封锁而导致的第五轮全国家庭健康调查（NFHS V）意外中断，我们创建了一个“暴露”于COVID-19大流行和封锁的儿童和母亲样本，以及未“暴露”的儿童和母亲样本。我们使用多变量回归来检验与“未暴露”的母亲和儿童相比，“暴露”的母亲和儿童的产前护理、孕期和产后护理是否以及在多大程度上受到不利影响。结果：“暴露”的母亲在怀孕期间接受两次破伤风注射和叶酸铁片的可能性较小，并且不太可能按照政府指导方针的建议在分娩后48小时内留在医疗机构。更关键的是，“暴露”儿童在出生、6周、10周和14周时接受免疫接种的可能性较低，随着连续免疫接种的下降幅度越来越大。异质性分析表明，农村地区的影响更为不利。结论：COVID-19大流行和封锁对印度的妇幼保健服务产生了不利影响，对印度农村的影响更大。需要专门针对受影响群体的政策干预措施，将妇幼保健服务恢复到大流行前的水平。临床试验注册：不适用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Maternal and Child Health Journal PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

4.30%

发文量

271

期刊介绍： Maternal and Child Health Journal is the first exclusive forum to advance the scientific and professional knowledge base of the maternal and child health (MCH) field. This bimonthly provides peer-reviewed papers addressing the following areas of MCH practice, policy, and research: MCH epidemiology, demography, and health status assessment Innovative MCH service initiatives Implementation of MCH programs MCH policy analysis and advocacy MCH professional development. Exploring the full spectrum of the MCH field, Maternal and Child Health Journal is an important tool for practitioners as well as academics in public health, obstetrics, gynecology, prenatal medicine, pediatrics, and neonatology. Sponsors include the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP), the Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health (ATMCH), and CityMatCH.