Many expected the year spent at home would lead to a baby boom .

Turns out the opposite seems to be true, as early research indicates the pandemic has made people in the western world have fewer babies , not more.

Last year, birth rates dropped around the world , according to reports by the Wall Street Journal. France, Japan, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S. reported fewer births, with the most significant decreases in Italy the European country, that suffered the most serious early COVID-19 losses, had a 21 per cent decrease in births.