Changes in Delivery Outcomes During COVID-19

Katie Noddin, MPH

ACOG Delivery Changes Image 1

Authors: Katie Noddin, MPH (Ovia Health), Adam Wolfberg, MD, MPH (Ovia Health & Cambridge Hospital), Dani Bradley, MS, MPH (Ovia Health)

New study presented at the The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Meeting: Changes in Delivery Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic as Reported in a Pregnancy Mobile Application

As the pandemic transformed healthcare delivery across the board, childbirth, maternal and delivery outcomes were also significantly impacted, according to a new study Ovia Health presented at The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Meeting on April 30th, 2021.

The study, which analyzed births from the months immediately preceding and after the start of the pandemic, found that women who delivered during the pandemic were less likely to deliver preterm, but more likely to deliver by Cesarean section; more likely to choose a home birth; and had hospital stays that were, on average, 8.2% shorter.

While the preliminary findings don’t unearth the specific factors driving the changes in birth and delivery, they underscore how significantly the pandemic has affected outcomes and point to the need for additional research. 

“These findings – especially the dramatic increase in home births, which carry more risk than hospital births – point to the sheer scale of the impacts the pandemic will have for years to come,” said Dani Bradley, MS, MPH, director of Clinical Services and Evidence, Ovia Health. “We will continue to track these trends and to provide guidance to our community about how to decide where to deliver, keeping health risk and safety top of mind.” Download the full study to learn more.

Download the study

About Ovia Health

Ovia Health has helped over 14 million women and families. We offer a comprehensive maternity and family benefits solution from preconception and pregnancy through return-to-work and parenthood. 

Ovia Health:

  • Engages women early, and sustains long term daily participation
  • Actively encourages partners to participate in the process
  • Includes predictive coaching and mobile alerts for identified health issues
  • Supports return-to-work with a proven approach
  • Boosts utilization across an employer’s benefit ecosystem
  • Drives behavior change and reduces maternity costs