Undetected Fetal Growth Restriction During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. Issue 2 (4th February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zafman, Kelly B.; Cudjoe, Efe; Levine, Lisa D.; Srinivas, Sindhu K.; Schwartz, Nadav
• Is Part Of: Obstetrics and gynecology. Volume 141:Issue 2(2023)
• Page Start: 414
• Page End: 417
• Publication Date: 2023-02-04
• Subjects: Obstetrics -- Periodicals; Gynecology -- Periodicals; 618
• DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005052
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0029-7844

Abstract

Abstract : Small-for-gestational-age neonates born during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were less likely to be diagnosed with fetal growth restriction antenatally compared with those born before the pandemic. Abstract : This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who delivered singleton, small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates between April and June 2019, before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (pre–COVID-19), and between April and July 2020, during the pandemic (COVID-19 epoch). The primary outcome was the rate of undetected antenatal fetal growth restriction (FGR) in the two periods. A total of 268 patients met inclusion criteria. Patients who delivered small-for-gestational-age neonates during the COVID-19 epoch were significantly more likely to have undetected FGR compared with those who delivered pre–COVID-19 (70.1% vs 58.1%, P =.04). Patients who delivered SGA neonates during the COVID-19 epoch had more telehealth visits but fewer in-person prenatal visits, recorded fundal height measurements, and growth ultrasonograms. As telemedicine continues to be incorporated into prenatal care, these data may lend further support toward self-assessment of fundal height or routine third-trimester growth ultrasonograms to identify fetal growth abnormalities.