Queensland doctors report baby boom following COVID-19 lockdown

Queenslanders stuck at home with “nothing else to do” during the coronavirus lockdown have sparked a baby boom, the state’s doctors say.

QUEENSLAND doctors are reporting a baby boom after the state spent more than two months in COVID-19 lockdown.

Medical experts have revealed there are often spikes in pregnancies at certain times of the year, but say coronavirus is responsible for the latest trend.

Queensland Fertility Group Medical Director Associate Professor Anusch Yazdani said lockdown had sparked a Queensland “fertility boom”, with more women than ever accessing the group’s services.

Australian Medical Association Queensland Obstetrics and Gynaecology Associate Professor Gino Pecoraro said there were a few obvious reasons for the spike in pregnancies. “Well, people are at home together and there‘s nothing else to do,” Assoc-Prof Pecoraro told The Sunday Mail.

Queensland doctors are reporting a spike in pregnancies after the coronavirus lockdown.

He said there were yearly patterns seen, where pregnancies spiked, “because there‘s nothing good on TV”.

“We see similar spikes when there‘s a cold snap in the weather and yearly in September and October probably because there’s nothing good on TV over the Christmas holidays,” he joked.

Upper Coomera Haan Health Practice Owner General Practitioner Sonu Haikerwal said she had at least 15 patients expecting COVID-19 babies.

“In our practice we’ve definitely noticed more pregnancies during this period,” Dr Haikerwal said.

“From the top of my head I’m expecting at least 15 (COVID-19) babies just from our practice”.

Australian Medical Association Queensland Obstetrics and Gynaecology Associate Professor Gino Pecoraro.

Dr Haikerwal believes “reconnecting” and people having time to “plan what they really want” has heightened the surge further.

“It’s interesting, we talk about mental health worsening but we’re also noticing people are spending more time with family and I think this has helped some families re-bond,” she said.

“People have the time to plan what they really want and with busy lives, we forget what’s important – like family and raising a family – but we’ve gone back to the basics.

“It’s not just the actual time, but the reconnection”.

Additionally, the pandemic has caused an “interesting turn of events,” as experts also share the downsides of iso-love.

Assoc-Prof Pecoraro said despite pregnancy spikes seeming a mostly joyful happening, a limited supply of the contraceptive pill may be partially to blame for current pregnancy spikes.

“It‘s an interesting turn of events because also with COVID there’s been a number of contraceptive pills that have been unavailable because there’s a worldwide supply chain problem,” he said.

“As we get supplies from China … it‘s a real issue”.