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. 2022 Sep 15;48(1):174.
doi: 10.1186/s13052-022-01368-6.

The incidence of congenital anomalies in newborns before and during the Covid-19 pandemic

Mohammad Heidarzadeh  1 , Mahshid Taheri  2 , Zohreh Mazaheripour  3 , Fariba Abbasi-Khameneh  3
Affiliations

The incidence of congenital anomalies in newborns before and during the Covid-19 pandemic

Mohammad Heidarzadeh et al. Ital J Pediatr. .

Abstract

Background: Pregnant women are one of the most vulnerable groups in the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the lack of knowledge about fetal and perinatal complications following Covid-19 infection, the association of Covid-19 pandemic and congenital anomalies in babies conceived and born during this pandemic is unclear. Current study aimed to investigate the association between the Covid-19 pandemic and congenital birth anomalies in Iran. The population of newborns whose embryonic period coincided with the Covid-19 crises were compared with a similar group born during the pre-Covid-19 period.

Methods: This is a retrospective comparative analysis of congenital birth anomalies in Iran; desired data was extracted from national birth registry database. All registered congenital anomalies in hospital births were compared between two time periods: During Covid-19 (1st November 2020- 28th February 2021) and Before Covid-19 (1st November 2019-29th February 2020). Incidence of congenital anomalies at birth were compared and analyzed between these two time periods.

Results: The incidence of congenital birth anomalies are significantly increased during Covid-19 pandemic compared with before Covid-19 (P value < 0.00001). The number of all types of anomalies has increased in the current pandemic, but the congenital anomalies of the central nervous system (P value = 0.04) and Genitourinary (P value = 0.03) have a larger contribution than before.

Conclusion: Covid-19 pandemic are associated with congenital anomalies at birth. There are several factors in the Covid-19 pandemic which can affect fetal development in the first trimester of pregnancy. Possible reasons include vertical transmission of Covid-19 infection; maternal fever, stress and anxiety; insufficient preconception and prenatal care; neglect of fetal screening; and poverty imposed by this pandemic.

Keywords: Central nervous system; Congenital anomaly; Covid-19; Pandemic.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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