pregnancy
Photo by Mike Newbry on Unsplash
Wildfires and heat waves linked to an increased risk for preterm birth
Pregnant Californians exposed to extreme climate events like wildfires and heat waves were at a higher risk for giving birth early, according to a new study published in Environmental Research.
In short:
- Exposure to wildfires was associated with an increased chance of preterm birth. The same was true for days with unusually high temperatures.
- This association was much stronger when exposure to both wildfires and heat waves occurred simultaneously.
- The risk for preterm birth was strongest for Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American study participants in comparison to White participants.
Key quote:
“Given the increasingly frequent occurrence and co-occurrence of these climate related events, pregnant people and their growing fetuses should be consistently in the front of climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.”
Why this matters:
As climate change continues to impact global weather patterns, heat waves and wildfires have become increasingly intense and frequent. Environmental hazards that affect the health of pregnant people and their children can have long-term and severe outcomes, such as harm to babies’ respiratory, neurological, and cardiometabolic development. The authors of this study point to the need to recognize pregnancy as a vulnerable period in order to encourage regulatory action that better protects parents and their children.
Related EHN coverage:
- American Heart Association: Children must be protected from health threats of environmental toxics
- Op-ed: How climate change harms pregnant people and their babies
More resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Wildfire smoke and pregnancy
- California Air Resources Board:Smoke ready California
- Yale Climate Connections: Extreme heat makes pregnancy more dangerous
Ha, Sandie et al. for Environmental Research vol. 252, 4. July 1, 2024
Science summaries are produced by the EHS science team, including HEEDS.
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Credit: Kattitude/Big Stock Photo
Extreme heat raises pregnancy risks, study shows
A recent study from India reveals that working in extreme heat significantly increases the risk of stillbirth and miscarriage among pregnant women.
In short:
- The research involved 800 pregnant women in Tamil Nadu, highlighting a doubled risk for those in high-heat jobs.
- No global standard exists for safe heat levels for pregnant workers, underscoring a gap in occupational health guidelines.
- The study's findings are a call to action for global health advice tailored to pregnant women in increasingly hot climates.
Key quote:
"If the workers continue for prolonged periods in this level of heat, they are more prone to heat-related illnesses, and it's especially concerning for pregnant women."
— Rekha Shanmugam, former nurse and one of the SRIHER study's researchers
Why this matters:
Studies have shown that exposure to high temperatures during pregnancy can lead to a range of adverse outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth. In addition, the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, such as increased body temperature and altered blood flow, can make pregnant individuals more susceptible to heat stress. Be sure to read Kelley Dennings' op-ed about how climate change harms pregnant people and their babies.climate change harms pregnant people and their babies.
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As extreme fires multiply, California scientists zero in on how smoke affects pregnancy and children
Climate change portends ever more frequent fires, and the smoky haze is “not easy to run from anymore,” notes one of the study’s leaders.
Over 1.3 million people in Thailand suffering air pollution-related diseases
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Photo by Xavier Mouton Photographie on Unsplash
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