key: cord-0687517-4imcgh5c
authors: Nagabhushana, Prerana; Sarkar, Avir; Wadhawan, Isha
title: Letter: Pregnancy Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada, March to August 2020
date: 2021-11-23
journal: J Obstet Gynaecol Can
DOI: 10.1016/j.jogc.2021.10.007
sha: a5bd81bb58edf6d4d1fab7d6fcfc4e62b16fe7ce
doc_id: 687517
cord_uid: 4imcgh5c

nan

titled "Pregnancy outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, March to August 2020." We appreciate the authors for offering data on the possible effects of the pandemic on pregnancy outcomes, still an area of uncertainty and ignorance. However, we would like to put forth some queries to better comprehend the study.

The study observed a decline in preterm deliveries, preterm labour inductions, and cesarean deliveries in 2020 (online Appendix Tables 3−5 1 ). It also reported an increase in the stillbirth rate for a specific gestational age (Tables 2 and 3 1 ) . We would like to know more about the causes of stillbirth during that period, their percentage contribution, and whether they were preventable by intervention. This may explain and link the aforementioned observations-did a drop in labour inductions and cesarean deliveries in a specific population give rise to an increased stillbirth rate? Perhaps the authors could also compare the causes of stillbirth in 2020 with those in previous years. This would further drive home the point we are trying to make: It is import to determine whether there was a shift in the causes of stillbirth.

We are grateful to the authors for bringing forth data on this subject. It would make policymaking more reasonable regarding delivering antenatal care services while minimizing physical contact with health care service providers.

Pregnancy outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/La Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada