Did changes in conception rates alone account for the decline in preterm births during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic?

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & GynaecologyEarly View LETTER TO THE EDITOR Did changes in conception rates alone account for the decline in preterm births during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic? Luigi Gagliardi, Luigi Gagliardi Department of Mother and Child Health, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Pisa, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorMartina Pacifici, Martina Pacifici Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Florence, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorMonia Puglia, Monia Puglia Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Florence, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorSonia Brescianini, Sonia Brescianini Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorAnna Maria Nannavecchia, Anna Maria Nannavecchia Department of Epidemiology and Care Intelligence, Regional Agency for Health and Social Affair of Puglia, Bari, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorSara Cantoira, Sara Cantoira Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorDebora Formisano, Debora Formisano Unit of Clinical Governance, Azienda USL – IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, San Giovanni Rotondo, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorMichele Gobbato, Michele Gobbato Pianificazione, Programmazione e Controllo Direzionale, Azienda Regionale di Coordinamento della Salute, Udine, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorOlivia Leoni, Olivia Leoni Welfare General Directorate, Milan, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorMonica Mazzucato, Monica Mazzucato Birth Registry, Coordinating Centre for Rare Diseases, Veneto Region, Padua, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorArianna Polo, Arianna Polo Area rete ospedaliera, Lazio Regional Authority, Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorRiccardo Pertile, Riccardo Pertile Department of Clinical and Evaluative Epidemiology, Health Service of Trento, Trento, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorAlessandro Scoppa, Alessandro Scoppa Department of Maternal and Child Health, General Directorate for Health Campania Region, Naples, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorElisa Eleonora Tavormina, Elisa Eleonora Tavormina Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy Department of Health Activities and Epidemiological Observatory, Regional Health Authority, Sicilian Region, Palermo, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorFranca Rusconi, Corresponding Author Franca Rusconi [email protected] Department of Mother and Child Health, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Pisa, Italy Correspondence Franca Rusconi, Department of Mother and Child Health, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Via Cocchi 7/9, Pisa 56121, Italy. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorthe AIE Perinatal Health Working Group, the AIE Perinatal Health Working GroupSearch for more papers by this author Luigi Gagliardi, Luigi Gagliardi Department of Mother and Child Health, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Pisa, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorMartina Pacifici, Martina Pacifici Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Florence, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorMonia Puglia, Monia Puglia Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Florence, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorSonia Brescianini, Sonia Brescianini Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorAnna Maria Nannavecchia, Anna Maria Nannavecchia Department of Epidemiology and Care Intelligence, Regional Agency for Health and Social Affair of Puglia, Bari, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorSara Cantoira, Sara Cantoira Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorDebora Formisano, Debora Formisano Unit of Clinical Governance, Azienda USL – IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, San Giovanni Rotondo, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorMichele Gobbato, Michele Gobbato Pianificazione, Programmazione e Controllo Direzionale, Azienda Regionale di Coordinamento della Salute, Udine, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorOlivia Leoni, Olivia Leoni Welfare General Directorate, Milan, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorMonica Mazzucato, Monica Mazzucato Birth Registry, Coordinating Centre for Rare Diseases, Veneto Region, Padua, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorArianna Polo, Arianna Polo Area rete ospedaliera, Lazio Regional Authority, Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorRiccardo Pertile, Riccardo Pertile Department of Clinical and Evaluative Epidemiology, Health Service of Trento, Trento, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorAlessandro Scoppa, Alessandro Scoppa Department of Maternal and Child Health, General Directorate for Health Campania Region, Naples, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorElisa Eleonora Tavormina, Elisa Eleonora Tavormina Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy Department of Health Activities and Epidemiological Observatory, Regional Health Authority, Sicilian Region, Palermo, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorFranca Rusconi, Corresponding Author Franca Rusconi [email protected] Department of Mother and Child Health, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Pisa, Italy Correspondence Franca Rusconi, Department of Mother and Child Health, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Via Cocchi 7/9, Pisa 56121, Italy. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorthe AIE Perinatal Health Working Group, the AIE Perinatal Health Working GroupSearch for more papers by this author First published: 03 September 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17658Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. REFERENCES 1Fallesen P, Oberndorfer M, Cozzani M. Changes in conception rates, not in pregnancy-related behaviour, likely caused decline in preterm births during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. BJOG. 2023; 130: 1153–1155. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17568 2Rusconi F, Puglia M, Pacifici M, Brescianini S, Gagliardi L, Nannavecchia AM, et al. Pregnancy outcomes in Italy during COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based cohort study. BJOG. 2023; 130(3): 276–284. 3Yang J, D'Souza R, Kharrat A, Fell DB, Snelgrove JW, Shah PS. COVID-19 pandemic and population-level pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in general population: a living systematic review and meta-analysis (Update#2: November 20, 2021). Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2022; 101(3): 273–292. 4 Ministero della Salute. Relazione del Ministro della salute al parlamento sullo stato di attuazione della legge contenente norme in materia di procreazione medicalmente assistita. Attività anno 2020 centri procreazione medicalmente assistita. Roma, Settembre 2022. [cited 2023 June 30]. Available from: www.salute.gov.it/portale/news/p3_2_1_1_1.jsp?lingua=italiano&menu=notizie&p=dalministero&id=6042 Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue ReferencesRelatedInformation