Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38528502›Full record

ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2024

Health of singleton neonates in Switzerland through time and crises: a cross-sectional study at the population level, 2007-2022.

Mathilde Le Vu, Katarina L Matthes, Marek Brabec, Julien Riou, Veronika W Skrivankova, Irene Hösli, Sabine Rohrmann, Kaspar Staub

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Mathilde Le VuInstitute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9495-4822
Katarina L MatthesInstitute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5263-3542
Marek BrabecInstitute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6367-5791
Julien RiouCenter for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3808-2852
Veronika W SkrivankovaInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0932-4792
Irene HösliDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Sabine RohrmannEpidemiology, Biostatistics, and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2215-1200
Kaspar StaubInstitute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. kaspar.staub@iem.uzh.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3951-1807
University of Zurich · CHCentre universitaire de médecine générale et santé publique, Lausanne · CHCzech Academy of Sciences · CZUniversity Hospital of Basel · CHUniversity of Bern · CH

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung 197305
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBeing exposed to crises during pregnancy can affect maternal health through stress exposure, which can in return impact neonatal health. We investigated temporal trends in neonatal outcomes in Switzerland between 2007 and 2022 and their variations depending on exposure to the economic crisis of 2008, the flu pandemic of 2009, heatwaves (2015 and 2018) and the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsUsing individual cross-sectional data encompassing all births occurring in Switzerland at the monthly level (2007-2022), we analysed changes in birth weight and in the rates of preterm birth (PTB) and stillbirth through time with generalized additive models. We assessed whether the intensity or length of crisis exposure was associated with variations in these outcomes. Furthermore, we explored effects of exposure depending on trimesters of pregnancy.

resultsOver 1.2 million singleton births were included in our analyses. While birth weight and the rate of stillbirth have remained stable since 2007, the rate of PTB has declined by one percentage point. Exposure to the crises led to different results, but effect sizes were overall small. Exposure to COVID-19, irrespective of the pregnancy trimester, was associated with a higher birth weight (+12 grams [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.5 to 17.9 grams]). Being exposed to COVID-19 during the last trimester was associated with an increased risk of stillbirth (odds ratio 1.24 [95%CI 1.02 to 1.50]). Exposure to the 2008 economic crisis during pregnancy was not associated with any changes in neonatal health outcomes, while heatwave effect was difficult to interpret.

conclusionOverall, maternal and neonatal health demonstrated resilience to the economic crisis and to the COVID-19 pandemic in a high-income country like Switzerland. However, the effect of exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic is dual, and the negative impact of maternal infection on pregnancy is well-documented. Stress exposure and economic constraint may also have had adverse effects among the most vulnerable subgroups of Switzerland. To investigate better the impact of heatwave exposure on neonatal health, weekly or daily-level data is needed, instead of monthly-level data.

Indexed as

COVID-19Premature BirthBirth WeightCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornPandemicsPregnancyPregnancy OutcomeStillbirthSwitzerlandBirth weightCOVID-19CrisesNeonatal healthPandemics

Identifiers

PMID38528502
PMCPMC10964517
OpenAlexW4393161948

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.