Variation in Maternal Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Colombia

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mortality rates in Colombia, its probable causes, and responses.

METHODS: An ecological design was applied to estimate the observable variation in the behavior of maternal mortality in Colombia in the year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent year, using data from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) and the National Health Institution (INS), which provided absolute counts of maternal deaths and positive cases and deaths due to COVID-19.

RESULTS: The weekly number of MMs during the pandemic increased relative to the average of the previous 10 years, from 6.99 to 8.99. Correlation analyses revealed that maternal deaths (MM) were weakly correlated with COVID-19 -MC19 deaths (r = 0.134; P = 0.563). There was also no apparent overlap between peak COVID-19 (CC19) and MM cases. Correlation analyses also revealed that MMs were weakly related to CC19s (r = 0.083; P = 0.719). The result of calculating the percent change in MMs showed that MMs generally increased during the pandemic period relative to those expected, as calculated with the regression models. However, there was no marked positive trend during the period studied and no direct relationship between the weekly percentage change in the number of MM and the behavior of CC19 or MC19 was evident. In both cases, p-values above the established significance level (0.05) were obtained.

CONCLUSIONS: Barriers to access to health care and the high prevalence of concomitant COVID-19 risk factors may play a role in the observed increased mortality compared to previous rates of maternal outcomes.