Impact of COVID-19 on Antenatal Care in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which is what causes the Covid-19 pandemic's high morbidity and fatality rates, is ubiquitous in the population. Additionally, pregnancy increases the risk of unfavourable obstetric and neonatal outcomes from many respiratory virus infections due to the systemic effects of the physiological and immunologic changes that are common throughout pregnancy. So, the objective of our research was to evaluate how a coronavirus-19 pandemic will affect antenatal care in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2022.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study was conducted between 2021-2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia among 202 women who were pregnant during the Coronavirus pandemic and had no previous Covid-19 infection. Data was collected by an online survey, the data were obtained, and different statistical tests were used for analysis by using SPSS, version 23.

Results: The results revealed that most patients had filmed sonar or television more than twice (78.2%). and the extent of patients visiting the obstetrician and gynaecologist to follow up the pregnancy for more than 8 times of 47%. Moreover, the bulk of participants 89.6% did not have complications during pregnancy. Majority of the participants 76.2% their mental state was not better than usual and only 4% had suicide thoughts. (45.5%) decreased their exercise activity. A significant relationship was found between thinking of hurting the self and worrying about contracting during pregnancy and between mood and thinking of changing the place where intending to give birth. Women with high educations were significantly correlated with the concerns of Covid-19 and more commitment of the quarantine instructions, while who didn’t work were significant related to have concerns of Covid-19 than who work and less commitment to quarantine instructions.

Conclusion: Although the good antenatal care during the covid19 pandemic in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the majority of pregnant women had impact on their mental health and had concerns of Covid-19. Thus, the research suggests providing pandemic related information to pregnant women and enhancing the trust between the caregiver and the patients.