The infant mortality rate is one health indicator that has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The infant mortality rate refers to the deaths of children under one year per 1000 live births in the same year (Kabir et al., 2020). Infants under the age of 1 year have a higher risk of Covid-19 infection than older children. Infants can get Covid-19 due to exposure to sick caregivers or during childbirth. Poverty and economic struggles brought by the Covid-19 pandemic have also contributed to the increased infant mortality rate since 2020. Among the 6 million global deaths caused by Covid-19, 0.4 percent occurred in children aged 0-7 years (Kabir et al., 2020).
Maternal mortality rate refers to the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in the same year during a certain period. The US maternal mortality rate in 2018 was 17.4 per 100,000 pregnancies, representing approximately 660 maternal deaths that year (Metz et al., 2020). However, the US is considered the country with the highest maternal mortality rate. This rate increased significantly during the Covid-19 period as more mothers remained at high risk of the virus during pregnancy. Pregnant mothers diagnosed with Covid-19 have a higher risk of preterm birth, emergency cesarean deliveries, pre-eclampsia, and stillbirth. In addition, Covid-19-positive pregnant women have reported high levels of stress and depression due to the pandemic’s adverse social and economic effects. As a result, the maternal mortality rate in the US from 2020 to 2022 has increased to 33.3 per 100,000 pregnancies (Thoma & Declercq, 2022). The spike in maternal mortality rate due to Covid-19 is not only attributable to infection rate but also social factors and pandemic-related stress. Housing insecurity, unemployment, social distancing, and fear have increased stress among pregnant women during the pandemic (Metz et al., 2020). The pandemic has also caused reduced access to healthcare, such as mental health and prenatal care, thus exacerbating the increasing maternal mortality rate in the US.
The under-5 mortality rate is the probability of dying before the age of 5 per 1000 live births. The evidence on the deaths caused by Covid-19 is considered to be age-dependent, with children less affected than adults. Children under the age of 5 represent approximately 0.1 percent of the total deaths in the US. Nearly 2.4 million children under the age of 5 died globally in 2020 due to causes associated with Covid-19 (Kabir et al., 2020). Most under-five deaths were caused by infections during birth, preterm birth, and childbirth-related complications. During the Covid-19 pandemic, malnutrition has also been a major cause of the increasing under-5 mortality rate. Due to the economic challenges caused by the pandemic, many children under five have suffered malnutrition due to the lack of access to healthy and nutritious food (Thoma & Declercq, 2022).
Summary
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on maternal and child health. The increased burden of healthcare providers and hospitals has made it almost impossible for women to access essential services such as prenatal care, mental healthcare, and postnatal care. In addition, the pandemic has threatened the lives of many children at risk of virus exposure in healthcare facilities or by their caregivers. Social factors and economic challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic have led to increased stress and depression among women, thus increasing the risk of poor maternal and child health.
References
Kabir, M., Saqib, M. A. N., Zaid, M., Ahmed, H., & Afzal, M. S. (2020). COVID-19, economic impact and child mortality: a global concern. Clinical Nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 39(7), 2322. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7260517/
Metz, T. D., Collier, C., & Hollier, L. M. (2020). Maternal mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 136(2), 313-316. https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/about-hhs/communications-events/meetings-events/maternal-mortality-morbidity/sept-2020-mmmrc-agenda-item-7.pdf
Thoma, M. E., & Declercq, E. R. (2022). All-cause maternal mortality in the US before vs during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA network open, 5(6), e2219133-e2219133. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2793640
write