Interest in Home Birth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of Google Trends Data.
Ru-Fong J Cheng, Alan C Fisher, Susan C Nicholson
PMID 35266623WHAT IT FOUND
Search interest in home birth jumped sharply after the pandemic was declared, then remained higher than before.
This shows increased public interest, not more home births or proof that home birth is safe.
Key findings
01After the pandemic was declared, search interest for home birth reached the highest score, 100, in the week of March 29, 2020.
02Median search interest was 43.0 during baseline, 70.5 during COVID-19 phase 1, and 49.0 during phase 2, with phase 2 significantly higher than baseline.
03For the comparison term birth center, median search interest was 65 at baseline, 52.5 in phase 1, and 57 in phase 2.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study measured anonymous internet searches, not actual home births, maternal outcomes, or neonatal outcomes. Because Google Trends data are anonymous, the researchers could not identify the race, ethnicity, age, or health conditions of the people searching. The searches may not represent people without easy internet access. The study could not determine why interest increased, such as fear of hospital exposure, insurance coverage, or access to care. The geographic results covered the whole study period, so changes within a state or city during different pandemic phases were not shown. The chosen search term might not capture every person interested in home birth, although related queries supported the term.
Declared interests
Two authors are employees of Johnson & Johnson and may own company stocks or stock options. One author is a former employee and former consultant for Johnson & Johnson and owns company stocks. Johnson and Johnson funded the work.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the increased search interest as evidence that home birth is safe or that more people gave birth at home. The study measured Google searches, not birth outcomes, and the paper says it remains to be seen whether interest led to more home births.