By Amélie Lavoie et Christine Doucet
Release: October 16, 2023
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect the pregnancy and childbirth experience of women who gave birth in Québec in 2020–2021? How did it impact the lives of new parents?
Some answers to these questions can be found in the first results from the Growing Up in Québec study, also called the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, 2nd edition.
On this page:
Pregnancy care during the pandemic
Impact of the pandemic on births and hospital stays
Cancelled or remote routine check-ups
Employment, income, and the mental health of new parents in a pandemic
The target population of the study includes children born between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021 to mothers living in Québec at the time their child was born. Most of these mothers’ pregnancies began between January and December 2020. The first data collection period took place from May 2021 to March 2022, when most of the children were about 5 months old.
The public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic was declared on March 13, 2020. For more information about the main events and public health measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit the webpage (in French only) of the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ).
Pregnancy care during the pandemic
The mothers of about 15% of babies reported that some of their prenatal appointments were cancelled or rescheduled.
For the mothers of approximately 42% of babies, some prenatal appointments took place by telephone or online.
The fathers of about 53% of babies reported that they had not been allowed to accompany the mothers to prenatal appointments.
The fathers of about 41% of babies reported that they had not been allowed to accompany the mothers to ultrasound scans.
Impact of the pandemic on births and hospital stays
For a very small proportion of babies (1.9%), the birth could not take place where the mothers originally planned or wished to give birth.
The fathers of about 1.0% of babies said that they had not been allowed to accompany the mothers during labour and delivery.
The pandemic particularly affected visits after the birth of the babies and the length of the stays at the place of delivery. For nearly 3 out of 4 babies (72%), family and friends were not allowed to visit the new parents and their child at the hospital or birthing centre.
According to mothers, their stay at the hospital or birthing centre was shortened for about 15% of babies. In addition, the fathers of about 6% of babies were not able to spend as much time as they would have like at the place of birth.
Cancelled or remote routine check-ups
Among babies with a family doctor or pediatrician (90%), about 8% had some of their routine check-ups (well-baby visits) with their family doctor cancelled, and about 15% of babies had telephone or videoconference appointments due to the measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 in the families
The mothers of about 4.4% of babies reported having had a positive COVID-19 test result before their child’s birth. The mothers of about 8% of babies reported having been infected with COVID-19 after their child’s birth.
In total, 4.7% of babies contracted COVID-19 between their birth and the age of about 5 months.
In the households of about 17% of babies, at least one person had COVID-19 between the start of the pandemic and the time the study was carried out.
Employment, income, and the mental health of new parents in a pandemic
Employment and income
The mothers of about 22% of babies were on preventative leave during their pregnancy due to the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
The mothers of nearly 6% of babies and the fathers of 7% of babies lost their jobs temporarily or permanently because of the pandemic.
The mothers of 58% of babies said that the pandemic did not affect their household income, those of 31% of babies said that their household income decreased, and those of 11% of babies said that it increased.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on household income1
Children aged about 5 months, Québec, 2021–2022
Note
1. As reported by the mothers.
Source
Institut de la statistique du Québec, Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, 2nd edition, 2021–2022.
Mental health
The mothers of about half (49%) of babies and the fathers of slightly over a third (36%) of babies said that the pandemic negatively impacted their mental health.
Loneliness
The mothers of 29% of babies reported suffering quite or very much from isolation or loneliness during their pregnancy because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fathers of about 15% of babies suffered quite or very much from isolation or loneliness during the mothers’ pregnancies.
The mothers of 22% of babies and the fathers of 11% of babies said they experienced such a level of loneliness after their child’s birth.
Stress
The mothers of 21% of babies mentioned that their stress level had increased somewhat or significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the stress level of the mothers of 41% of babies increased a little.
The fathers of about 15% of babies reported that their stress level had increased somewhat or significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the fathers of about a third of babies (33%) said their stress level had increased a little.
Next releases
A complete and detailed portrait of babies and their families based on the first results from Growing Up in Québec will be made available in 2024 in the form of thematic reports. Sign up for e-mail notifications so you don’t miss anything.
About Growing Up in Québec
The main objective of the second edition of the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), commonly known as Growing Up in Québec, is to better understand the factors that can affect the development and well-being of Québec children.
The children targeted by the study are those born in 2020–2021 to mothers living in Québec at the time their child was born. The first data collection for the study took place in all regions of the province from May 2021 to March 2022. In total, 4,703 families participated in the study.
On this page, the term mother means the biological mother who was living with the 5-month-old child. Nearly 100% of the children included in the study were living with their biological mother at that age. By father, we mean the biological or legal father who was living with the 5-month-old child. Nearly 94% of the children included in the study were living with their biological or legal father at that age. The rest of the children were living with their biological mother only or with another parental figure.
The study is conducted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec in collaboration with various partners. It is funded by the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, the Ministère de la Famille, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, the Ministère de l’Éducation, the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the Conseil de gestion de l’assurance parentale, and the Institut de la statistique du Québec. This webpage is funded by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux.
For more information about the study, read the study fact sheet.
For more information about the methodological aspects of the study, read the methodological report. (PDF, 1,6 Mb).
