This is according to a joint study by the Technion and the University of Haifa. In the study, data was collected from 252,858 United Health Insurance policyholders between the ages of 15 and 44, for the period between January 2017 and April 2021
No change was found in the rate of spontaneous abortions in Israel during the period of the Corona epidemic from March 2020 until after the end of the third wave of the epidemic at the end of April 2021. This is according to a study conducted at the Technion and the university. The study collected data from 252,858 United Health Insurance policyholders aged between 15 and 44, for the period between January 2017 and April 2021. "On the one hand, the mental stress during the epidemic, as well as possible infection with the corona virus, could have increased the rate of spontaneous abortions. On the other hand, the lockdown policy forced us all to stay at home, which might actually lower the rate of spontaneous abortions as a result of lower than usual physical exertion. Either way, the findings show that there was no significant change in the rate of abortions," said Prof. Steven Levine from the university, one of the authors of the study.
Between 11% and 20% of known pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion, which is defined as a natural abortion that occurs during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Spontaneous abortions are related, among other things, to chromosomal problems in the fetus, to exposure to certain substances and infections during pregnancy, as well as to other factors related to environmental effects on the woman.
According to the researchers, the corona epidemic was a complex event with bio-psychological characteristics that could cause widespread social trauma, so it could be expected that it could affect the rate of spontaneous abortions. In a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open The researchers wanted to characterize the relationship between the corona epidemic and the rate of spontaneous abortions in Israel.
The study was conducted by Dr. Yael Travis-Lomer and Prof. Yair Goldberg from the Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences at the Technion, Prof. Arad Kodesh from the United Health Fund and the Department of Community Mental Health at the University, Prof. Avraham Reichenberg and Prof. Saban Sandin from the Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital, Prof. Sophia Frango from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia and Prof. Steven Levin from the School of Public Health at the University.
According to Dr. Yael Travis-Lomer of the Technion, "in order to examine the effect of the corona epidemic on the rate of abortions in Israel, we must take into account possible trends before and during the corona period, as well as seasonal effects."
The results of the study show that during the three waves of the corona virus in Israel, no change was observed in the rate of spontaneous abortions. In the period before the corona epidemic, the monthly rate of spontaneous abortions ranged from 20% to 25% of the reported pregnancies, while during the corona period this rate ranged from 20% to 26.5%. When the researchers compared the rate of spontaneous abortions during the Corona period to the rate of abortions expected for this period if the Corona epidemic had not occurred, a slight increase in the rate of spontaneous abortions was found, but this increase is not statistically significant. "During the research period that preceded the corona epidemic in Israel (January 2017 to February 2020) the rate of spontaneous abortions in Israel remained stable. During the period of the Corona epidemic (March 2020 to April 2021), there was a slight increase in the rate of spontaneous abortions in Israel, but no significant change was found in this rate," said Prof. Levin.
"Although the monthly rate of spontaneous abortions remained stable during the entire study period, it is possible that this rate will change in the future depending on other factors. We must continue to monitor this figure in the near future", concluded the researchers.
