Examination of Infant Deaths Occurring in Yozgat Province During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Before (2014-2022)

Infant mortality is a critical indicator of the health system and social well-being. This study aimed to examine the characteristics and any changes of infant deaths in Yozgat province, during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the preceding years. Yozgat Province Infant Mortality Commission data were examined in detail through a standardized data collection form. The limit of statistical significance was accepted as (alpha) 0.05. When the number of infant deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic period was evaluated by corresponding values of the pre-pandemic years, no statistically significant association was found with infants’ gender, birth week, birth weight, mothers’ method of conception, delivery method, pregnancy follow-up and the gestational month of infant’s death. The proportion of pregnant women with adequate pregnancy follow-up (i.e., 4 and above) increased compared to the pre-COVID-19 period and this increase was statistically significant (p = 0.036). It is noteworthy that the number of applications for possible risky pregnancies could have increased during the pandemic period, considering the impact of COVID-19 on health care services. Thus, it was valuable to interpret infant deaths in Yozgat province by comparing them with the previous 6 years, instead of examining them only during the pandemic period, with regards to possible changes, and examining their causes. Examining the national and provincial infant mortality indices from this perspective, with comparisons, would be a valuable practice in terms of consistency or heterogeneity of findings for better preparation against future pandemic-related service delivery planning.