Heat increases the risk of premature birth

On May 29, The Guardian newspaper cited a study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) saying that  heat increases the rate of premature birth , making children's short- and long-term health weaker.

Mothers of color, Spanish speakers and low-income groups in this country are most affected by heat waves.

Heat makes pregnant women not only stressed but also more likely to give birth prematurely - (Illustration by Getty).

The study was published in the context of extreme temperatures occurring more frequently and with high intensity due to climate change. In 2023, the world will witness record heat levels, highest in July.

Besides the direct effects of heat, pregnant women are also susceptible to stress, heat stroke and exhaustion due to rising temperatures . This negatively affects the fetus and daily activities.

"The above findings show that mothers from low-income populations are unlikely to avoid harm from heat and experience many other related problems , " said Ms. Lyndsey Darrow, study author and professor. epidemiologist at the University of Nevada (USA), said.

Researchers looked at 53 million births that took place between 1993 and 2017 in 50 US metropolitan areas. After four consecutive days of high temperatures, scientists found a 2% increase in births before 37 weeks of pregnancy and a 1% increase in births between 37 and 38 weeks of pregnancy.

At this stage, the fetus looks like a normal newborn but is not yet ready to be born, the immune system is still in the developing stage.

"The rate of premature birth is higher for women who cannot use air conditioning or are exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time ," Ms. Darrow concluded.

Explaining further, Ms. Darrow said temperature can trigger premature contractions through the release of certain labor-inducing hormones, reduced blood flow and dehydration causing pregnant women to give birth prematurely.

It is important to know that premature birth is the leading cause of death in newborns and affects many body functions such as breathing, neurological development. throughout the child's life.

This study reinforces how important it is for doctors to advise them that managing heat stress is important, especially for pregnant women.

"During pregnancy, we must always be careful ," said Nathaniel DeNicola, an obstetrician and gynecologist who wrote a 2020 report on air pollution and premature birth. According to her, "more advice from clinics or documents is needed to limit dehydration and stress on pregnant women due to extreme temperatures."