Effects of the COVID- 19 pandemic on maternal health care services utilization and pregnancy outcomes at a tertiary hospital in western Kenya

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic occasioned significant disruptions in the delivery of healthcare services  globally. There is limited knowledge on the effect of the pandemic on the utilization of maternal healthcare services and its  effects on pregnancy outcomes in the Western Kenya region.

Objective: This study sought to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal healthcare utilization and pregnancy outcomes  at Jaramogi Oginga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), Kisumu.

Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study. It included all mothers who sought maternal healthcare services at JOOTRH  between 2018 and 2022. SPSS 27 was used for data analysis. Descriptive, inferential statistics and T-tests were determined. Covariates  with a p-value <0.05 were considered significant.

Results: The study results illustrated an overall decline in the utilization of all key maternal healthcare services. The mean variances were calculated at a 95% confidence interval (CI). Intra-Covid-19, there was 23.3% (95%  CI =15% to 31.6%) decline in ANC visits, hospital deliveries decreased by 16.7% (95% CI =9.36% to 24.04%), post-natal services reduced by  35.4% (95% CI = 25.65% to 44.35%) and family planning utilization dropped by 57.4% (95% CI =47.70% to 67.10%). Maternal and neonatal  outcomes were negatively impacted, with a 39.7% (95% CI = 30.12% to 49.28%) increase in maternal sepsis, a 26.4% (95% CI = 17.75% to  35.05%) increase in fresh stillbirths and a 34.3% (95% CI =24.98% to 43.62%) increase in lowbirth-weight babies.

Conclusion: The  pandemic had a detrimental effect on maternal healthcare access and adverse pregnancy outcomes.