Association of armed conflict with extreme preterm birth and pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Ukraine, 2022–24: a repeated cross-sectional national surveillance study

Abstract

Armed conflict can affect maternal and neonatal health through disruption of health services, population displacement, psychosocial stress, and deterioration of living conditions. However, population-based evidence obtained during large-scale modern warfare in countries with previously high-functioning maternal–newborn services remains sparse. We aimed to investigate whether rates of extreme preterm birth and pre-eclampsia or eclampsia among recorded facility-based deliveries in Ukraine changed during 2022–24 and whether these changes differed by regional conflict intensity.