The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spectrum of neonatal
disease in a tertiary hospital in China
Abstract
Background: Neonatal diseases are a significant threat to global public
health, resulting in the disturbance of normal homeostatic well-being in
affected patients and reflecting the status of, and challenges to,
regional, national, and global healthcare systems. Objectives: To
investigate the disease spectrum observed among neonatal inpatients
changed after COVID-19 breakout. Methods: The present hospital-based
retrospective study analyzed the demographic and clinical
characteristics of 19,943 newborns who were hospitalized from January
2018 to December 2022 using data derived from pediatric department
registers. Results: According to the ICD-11 classification criteria, the
two most common neonatal disorders during this study period were
“Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period” and “Disease
of the respiratory system”. Following the start of the COVID-19
pandemic, the number of neonatal patients declined markedly, and the
proportion of newborns assigned the “Disease of the respiratory
system” ICD-11 classification similarly decreased. Discusssion and
Conclusions: The present study retrospectively analyzed these neonatal
disease characteristics at our hospital in greater detail, providing a
foundation for future research and policymaking efforts.