Unprecedented disruption of lives due to COVID-19 pandemic on health of pregnant women

Authors

  • Shashwatee Ghosh Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
  • Rujuta Fuke Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
  • Disha R. Harikanth Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20214319

Keywords:

COVID-19, Pandemic, Quarantine, Pregnant women, Food scarcity, Mental health

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has caused havoc worldwide. The quarantine imposed in this country aimed at combating this deadly disease and also created awareness amongst the masses. Though there was a decrease in case load; unemployment and food scarcity crumbled the Indian economy. This caused a significant impact on the population especially among the pregnant women. Aim was to assess the effects of measures to control COVID-19 pandemic on the health of pregnant women.

Methods: A cross sectional analytical study conducted in May 2020 among 343 pregnant women attending antenatal outpatient department (OPD) in Government Medical College, Nagpur. They were interviewed using a structured questionnaire.

Results: The study showed that majority women were 25-29 years old and most of them had education of high school level with income under 10,000. Anger and fear were the most common untoward feelings perceived by these pregnant women during pandemic. Most of them had neutral opinion regarding the impact of lockdown on their routine lives. And almost all felt that India would fight the COVID-19 pandemic through lockdown. Majority women reduced their hospital visits during pandemic even-though there was no difficulty in transportation. Although maximum women found it easy to avail medicines in pharmacy there was tremendous food scarcity and decreased earning.

Conclusions: The study stresses on the need to provide mental health awareness among pregnant women during pandemic and to tackle any social inequalities. It also encourages the government to undertake time bound policy evaluation.

References

Zhang SX, Wang Y, Rauch A, Wei F. Unprecedented disruption of lives and work: Health, distress and life satisfaction of working adults in China one month into the COVID-19 outbreak. Psychiatry Res. 2020;288:112958.

San Lau L, Samari G, Moresky RT, Casey SE, Kachur SP, Roberts LF, et al. COVID-19 in humanitarian settings and lessons learned from past epidemics. Nature Med. 2020:26(5):647-8.

Fardin MA. COVID-19 and Anxiety: A Review of Psychological Impacts of Infectious Disease Outbreaks. Arch Clin Infect Dis. 2020;15:e102779.

Wu Y, Zhang C, Liu H, Duan C, Li C, Fan J, et al. Perinatal depressive and anxiety symptoms of pregnant women during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in China. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2020;223(2):240.e1-9.

Zhou P, Yang XL, Wang XG, Hu B, Zhang L, Zhang W, et al. A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin. Nature. 2020;579(7798):270-3.

Patel A, Jernigan DB; 2019-nCoV CDC Response Team. Initial Public Health Response and Interim Clinical Guidance for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak - United States, December 31, 2019-February 4, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(5):140-6.

Chu IY, Alam P, Larson HJ, Lin L. Social consequences of mass quarantine during epidemics: a systematic review with implications for the COVID-19 response. J Travel Med. 2020;27(7):192.

Mizrak Sahin B, Kabakci EN. The experiences of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey: A qualitative study. Women Birth. 2021:34(2):162-9.

Walton G. COVID-19 The new normal for midwives, women and families. Midwifery. 2020;87:102736.

Furuta M. International Year of Midwifery- in the midst of a pandemic. Midwifery. 2020;87:102739.

Mihashi M, Otsubo Y, Yinjuan X, Nagatomi K, Hoshiko M, Ishitake T. Predictive factors of psychological disorder development during recovery following SARS outbreak. Health Psychol. 2009;28(1):91-100.

Pellechia U, Crestani R, Decroo T. Social consequences of Ebola containment measures in Liberia. PLoS One. 2015;10:e0143036.

Tracy CS, Rea E, Upshur RE. Public perceptions of quarantine: community- based telephone survey following an infectious disease outbreak. BMC Public Health. 2009;9:470.

Wilken JA, Pordell P, Goode B, Jarteh R, Miller Z, Saygar BG, et al. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Members of Households Actively Monitored or Quarantined to Prevent Transmission of Ebola Virus Disease - Margibi County, Liberia: February-March 2015. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):673-8.

Kodish SR, Bio F, Oemcke R. A qualitative study to understand how Ebola virus disease affected nutrition in Sierra Leone-a food value chain framework for improving future response strategies. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019;13:e0007645.

Gostin LO, Bayer R, Fairchild AL. Ethical and legal challenges posed by severe acute respiratory syndrome. JAMA. 2003;290:3229-37.

John N, Casey S, Carino G, McGovern T. Lessons never learned: crisis and gender –based violence. Dev World Bioeth. 2020;1-4.

Cava MA, Fay KE, Beanlands HJ. The experience of quarantine for individuals affected by SARS in Toronto. Public Health Nurs. 2005;22:398-406.

Downloads

Published

2021-10-27

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles