Association between COVID-19 Pandemic and neonatal outcomes: a nationwide cross-sectional study in India

The project aims to examine the impacts of exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic on neonatal outcomes of children born during the pandemic in India. Specifically, our research hypothesis will compare the birth weight of children born during the pandemic to those born before the pandemic. we expect that due to maternal stress, shortage of medical personnel and services, and lockdown during the pandemic, the birth weight of newborns during the pandemic will be lower, and that will have severe adverse implications for human development in resource-poor countries such as India.

One of the thematic priorities of the Kellogg Institute is the “Integral Human Development” and ensuring that the full potential of each child and individual is realized. Childhood health, particularly early child health including health at birth, has long been recognized as a key determinant of economic and human development and has significant socio-economic returns for marginalized and vulnerable populations in developing countries. Children born with low birth weight tend to have lower human capital, education, poor health, and perform poorly in the labor market too. So, for economic prosperity and economic development, a cost-effective approach is to improve health at birth. Thus, the proposed research is aligned with the human development theme of the Kellogg Institute.