Study links coronavirus lockdowns to birth rate drop in Europe

Europe saw a 14% driblet successful its commencement complaint successful January 2021 compared to erstwhile years - a diminution astir apt triggered by the archetypal question of the Covid-19 pandemic, probe suggests.

January 2021 was 9 to 10 months aft the imposition of Covid-related lockdowns.

Longer lockdowns led to less pregnancies, the probe suggests.

The diminution was much communal successful countries wherever wellness systems struggled.

Researchers accidental the findings whitethorn pb to "long-term consequences connected demographics peculiarly successful occidental Europe wherever determination are aging populations".

"The longer the lockdowns the less pregnancies occurred successful this period, adjacent successful countries not severely affected by the pandemic," said Dr Leo Pomar, a midwife sonographer astatine Lausanne University Hospital, who wrote the study.

"We deliberation that couples' fears of a wellness and societal situation astatine the clip of the archetypal question of Covid-19 contributed to the alteration successful unrecorded births 9 months later."

Social distancing measures, fears related to the virus, and the societal and economical situation caused arsenic a effect whitethorn beryllium "indirect factors that played a relation successful the determination of couples to postpone pregnancies", the study states.

England and Wales saw a 13% driblet successful January 2021, compared with January 2018 and 2019 - portion the fig of babies calved successful Scotland decreased by 14%.

France and Spain saw a 14% and 23% driblet respectively.

In March 2021, births returned to a akin complaint to the pre-pandemic level, corresponding to a rebound 9 to 10 months aft the extremity of lockdowns, the survey says.

But researchers accidental that this rebound does not look to person compensated for the driblet successful commencement rates 2 months before.

"The information that the rebound successful births does not look to compensate for the alteration successful January 2021 could person semipermanent consequences connected demographics, peculiarly successful occidental Europe wherever determination are aging populations," Dr Pomar said.