Changes in stillbirths and child and youth mortality in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic
Acosta, Enrique (Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics)
Hug, Lucia (UNICEF)
Cruz-Castanheira, Helena (Centro Latinoamericano y Caribeño de Demografía)
Sharrow, David (UNICEF)
Monteiro da Silva, José Henrique (University of Pennsylvania)
You, Danzhen (UNICEF)
Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics

Fecha:	2024
Descripción:	8 pàg.
Resumen:	Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been extensively studied for its impact on mortality, particularly in older age groups. However, the pandemic effects on stillbirths and mortality rates in neonates, infants, children and youth remain poorly understood. This study comprehensively analyses the pandemic influence on young mortality and stillbirths across 112 countries and territories in 2020 and 104 in 2021. Methods: Using data from civil registers and vital statistics systems (CRVS) and the Health Management Information System (HMIS), we estimate expected mortality levels in a non-pandemic setting and relative mortality changes (p-scores) through generalized linear models. The analysis focuses on the distribution of country-specific mortality changes and the proportion of countries experiencing deficits, no changes and excess mortality in each age group. Results: Results show that stillbirths and under-25 mortality were as expected in most countries during 2020 and 2021. However, among countries with changes, more experienced deficits than excess mortality, except for stillbirths, neonates and those aged 10-24 in 2021, where, despite the predominance of no changes, excess mortality prevailed. Notably, a fifth of examined countries saw increases in stillbirths and a quarter in young adult mortality (20-24) in 2021. Our findings are highly consistent between females and males and similar across income levels. Conclusion: Despite global disruptions to essential services, stillbirths and youth mortality were as expected in most observed countries, challenging initial hypotheses. However, the study suggests the possibility of delayed adverse effects that require more time to manifest at the population level. Understanding the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic requires ongoing, long-term monitoring of health and deaths among children and youth, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
Nota:	Altres ajuts:This work was supported by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development.
Derechos:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Lengua:	Anglès
Documento:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Materia:	COVID-19 pandemic ; Infant mortality ; Youth mortality ; Stillbirths ; Excess mortality
Publicado en:	International journal of epidemiology, Vol. 53 Núm. 3 (June 2024) , ISSN 1464-3685

DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyae057
PMID: 38622491

8 p, 1.2 MB

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