COVID-19 pandemic may cause births to decline in Canada: study

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — There’s no shortage of ways the pandemic has affected our lives and now we have new data on COVID’s impact on family data.

This week, Statistics Canada posted the result of a study that shows the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting Canadians’ decisions on whether to have or hold off on having kids.

Nearly one in five Canadians aged 25 to 44 reported that they want to have a child later than previously planned as a result of the pandemic.

“This was especially the case for Canadians who were not married or in a common-law relationship; they were more likely to report that they now want to have children later, than were Canadians in a couple (23 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively). Those not in a couple (18 per cent) were also more likely than those who were married or common-law (12 per cent) to indicate that they want to have fewer children because of the pandemic,” the report reads.

But seven per cent say they want to have kids sooner, 14 per cent indicated wanting fewer children than before, and four per cent want to have more children than prior to the pandemic.

Fertility treatment in demand

But fertility specialist Dr. Caitlin Dunne, with the Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine and a Clinical Association Professor at UBC, warns against overly broad conclusions about fertility with families divided along socioeconomic lines.

She explains that data in America and Canada shows younger women in lower socioeconomic situations on average plan to delay children but a substantial number of women hope to have children sooner because of the pandemic.

“And that could be because people have reevaluated what’s really important to them and family is at the top of that list.”

In her years working as a fertility specialist, Dunne says she’s seen how important conceiving is to people that “not even a pandemic is going to deter you from those dreams.”

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Fertility being top of mind is especially true for people with ovaries over 35 because waiting could cost them valuable time.

This is why Dunne says she’s seen a big increase in demand for fertility preservation like egg freezing and fertility treatment like IVF.

Dunne adds one thing she’s concerned about is misinformation influencing peoples’ choices around vaccines and fertility.

She stresses research data shows COVID vaccines are safe for those pregnant or planning to conceive.

“I know there are myths out there that the COVID vaccine can cause infertility or miscarriage. And although these myths have been debunked with scientific research, it’s possible that for some women, this misinformation about vaccine is causing them to delay having children. And as a physician, I really want to let women know that we have research data to support that pregnancy during the pandemic is safe,” Dunne explains, adding Pfizer and Moderna are safe and recommended for women planning to get pregnant.

“If you’re vaccinated, pregnant women do not appear to be more susceptible to catching the COVID virus,” she stresses.

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Earlier this week, B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry also admitted misinformation about vaccines may be what’s keeping some people from booking an appointment to get their first dose.

B.C.’s top doctor encouraged people to find more information and data about vaccines by visiting the B.C. Centre for Disease Control website and assured people vaccines are recommended by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, and similar groups around the world.

Henry warned, “COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate,” as pregnant people make up part of the steady rise in ICU cases the province is seeing.

Henry is calling on especially pregnant people, breastfeeding people, or those planning to get pregnant to get vaccinated.