Medical Dialogues
  • Dermatology
Login Register
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
Login Register
  • MD Brand Connect
  • Vaccine Hub
  • MDTV
    • Breaking News
    • Medical News Today
    • Health News Today
    • Latest
    • Journal Club
    • Medico Legal Update
    • Latest Webinars
    • MD Shorts
    • Health Dialogues
  • Fact Check
  • Health Dialogues
Medical Dialogues
  • Medical News & Guidelines
      • Anesthesiology
      • Cardiology and CTVS
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diabetes and Endocrinology
      • ENT
      • Gastroenterology
      • Medicine
      • Nephrology
      • Neurology
      • Obstretics-Gynaecology
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopaedics
      • Pediatrics-Neonatology
      • Psychiatry
      • Pulmonology
      • Radiology
      • Surgery
      • Urology
      • Laboratory Medicine
      • Diet
      • Nursing
      • Paramedical
      • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
      • Doctor News
      • Government Policies
      • Hospital & Diagnostics
      • International Health News
      • Medical Organization News
      • Medico Legal News
      • NBE News
      • NMC News
  • Fact Check
      • Bone Health Fact Check
      • Brain Health Fact Check
      • Cancer Related Fact Check
      • Child Care Fact Check
      • Dental and oral health fact check
      • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
      • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
      • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
      • Fitness fact check
      • Gut health fact check
      • Heart health fact check
      • Kidney health fact check
      • Medical education fact check
      • Men's health fact check
      • Respiratory fact check
      • Skin and hair care fact check
      • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
      • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
    • Homeopathy
    • Siddha
    • Unani
    • Yoga
  • State News
      • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
      • Andhra Pradesh
      • Arunachal Pradesh
      • Assam
      • Bihar
      • Chandigarh
      • Chattisgarh
      • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
      • Daman and Diu
      • Delhi
      • Goa
      • Gujarat
      • Haryana
      • Himachal Pradesh
      • Jammu & Kashmir
      • Jharkhand
      • Karnataka
      • Kerala
      • Ladakh
      • Lakshadweep
      • Madhya Pradesh
      • Maharashtra
      • Manipur
      • Meghalaya
      • Mizoram
      • Nagaland
      • Odisha
      • Puducherry
      • Punjab
      • Rajasthan
      • Sikkim
      • Tamil Nadu
      • Telangana
      • Tripura
      • Uttar Pradesh
      • Uttrakhand
      • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
      • Ayush Education News
      • Dentistry Education News
      • Medical Admission News
      • Medical Colleges News
      • Medical Courses News
      • Medical Universities News
      • Nursing education News
      • Paramedical Education News
      • Study Abroad
  • Industry
      • Health Investment News
      • Health Startup News
      • Medical Devices News
      • Pharma News
      • Pharmacy Education News
      • Industry Perspective
  • MDTV
      • Health Dialogues MDTV
      • Health News today MDTV
      • Latest Videos MDTV
      • Latest Webinars MDTV
      • MD shorts MDTV
      • Medical News Today MDTV
      • Medico Legal Update MDTV
      • Top Videos MDTV
      • Health Perspectives MDTV
      • Journal Club MDTV
      • Medical Dialogues Show
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
LoginRegister
Medical Dialogues
LoginRegister
  • Home
  • Medical news & Guidelines
    • Anesthesiology
    • Cardiology and CTVS
    • Critical Care
    • Dentistry
    • Dermatology
    • Diabetes and Endocrinology
    • ENT
    • Gastroenterology
    • Medicine
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstretics-Gynaecology
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Orthopaedics
    • Pediatrics-Neonatology
    • Psychiatry
    • Pulmonology
    • Radiology
    • Surgery
    • Urology
    • Laboratory Medicine
    • Diet
    • Nursing
    • Paramedical
    • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
    • Doctor News
    • Government Policies
    • Hospital & Diagnostics
    • International Health News
    • Medical Organization News
    • Medico Legal News
    • NBE News
    • NMC News
  • Fact Check
    • Bone Health Fact Check
    • Brain Health Fact Check
    • Cancer Related Fact Check
    • Child Care Fact Check
    • Dental and oral health fact check
    • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
    • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
    • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
    • Fitness fact check
    • Gut health fact check
    • Heart health fact check
    • Kidney health fact check
    • Medical education fact check
    • Men's health fact check
    • Respiratory fact check
    • Skin and hair care fact check
    • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
    • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
      • Ayurveda Giuidelines
      • Ayurveda News
    • Homeopathy
      • Homeopathy Guidelines
      • Homeopathy News
    • Siddha
      • Siddha Guidelines
      • Siddha News
    • Unani
      • Unani Guidelines
      • Unani News
    • Yoga
      • Yoga Guidelines
      • Yoga News
  • State News
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Arunachal Pradesh
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chandigarh
    • Chattisgarh
    • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
    • Daman and Diu
    • Delhi
    • Goa
    • Gujarat
    • Haryana
    • Himachal Pradesh
    • Jammu & Kashmir
    • Jharkhand
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Ladakh
    • Lakshadweep
    • Madhya Pradesh
    • Maharashtra
    • Manipur
    • Meghalaya
    • Mizoram
    • Nagaland
    • Odisha
    • Puducherry
    • Punjab
    • Rajasthan
    • Sikkim
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
    • Tripura
    • Uttar Pradesh
    • Uttrakhand
    • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
    • Ayush Education News
    • Dentistry Education News
    • Medical Admission News
    • Medical Colleges News
    • Medical Courses News
    • Medical Universities News
    • Nursing education News
    • Paramedical Education News
    • Study Abroad
  • Industry
    • Health Investment News
    • Health Startup News
    • Medical Devices News
    • Pharma News
      • CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) News
    • Pharmacy Education News
    • Industry Perspective
  • Home
  • Obstetrics and Gynaecology
  • Obstetrics and Gynaecology News
  • Exposure to high...

Exposure to high temperatures linked to poor pregnancy outcomes

Written By : Hina Zahid |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2020-11-05T05:30:45+05:30  |  Updated On 5 Nov 2020 12:04 PM IST
Exposure to high temperatures linked to poor pregnancy outcomes
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Email

Temperature rises with global warming could have major implications for child health, say researchers.

Exposure to high temperatures in pregnancy is associated with an increase in adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially preterm birth and stillbirth, and among women in lower socioeconomic groups, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

Although the effects may appear small in size, the researchers say the findings "could have a major impact on public health as exposure to high temperatures is common and escalating." Moreover, conditions such as preterm birth often have lifelong implications for affected newborns.

Increases in global temperatures raise concerns about heat impacts on health, especially in vulnerable groups such as the elderly, those living in poverty, and the chronically ill.

Previous evidence reviews have found associations between exposure to high temperatures and pregnancy outcomes, but have included few studies and have not assessed differences across population groups and by type of heat exposure.

So an international team of researchers set out to assess whether exposure to high temperatures in pregnancy is associated with increased risk for preterm birth, low birth weight and stillbirth.

They analysed the results of 70 studies, set in 27 countries, seven of which were low and middle income countries, that reported associations between high temperatures and preterm birth, birth weight and stillbirths.

Differences in study design and quality of evidence were taken into account.

WHO estimates that 15 million babies are born preterm each year, the leading cause of death among children under 5. The average rate of preterm birth in the studies was 5.6%, much lower than the global average of about 10%.

Of the 47 studies that assessed preterm births, 40 reported that preterm births were more common at higher than lower temperatures. Further analysis showed that the odds of a preterm birth rose, on average, by 5% per 1°C increase in temperature and by 16% during heat waves than on non-heatwave days.

Nearly 2 million stillbirths occur each year worldwide. The average stillbirth rate was 6.2 per 1000 births in the eight included studies, about half the rates documented in many lower-income countries.

All eight studies detected an increase in stillbirths at higher temperatures, with stillbirths increasing by 5% per 1°C rise in temperature. In most cases, associations between temperature and stillbirth were most pronounced in the last week or month of pregnancy.

Low birth weight, associated with a range of short and long-term consequences, occurred on average in 3% of infants in the included studies. Of the 28 studies that assessed birth weight, 18 found an increased risk at higher temperatures, but generally the impacts of temperature on weight were small, with most studies reporting only minor changes.

However, the researchers point out that, "even apparently minor decrements in birth weight could have a major impact on public health as exposure to high temperatures is common and escalating."

Finally, associations between temperature and outcomes were largest among women in lower socioeconomic groups, suggesting that pregnant women in low and middle income countries may be at particular risk from heat exposure, they add.

This review was based on observational studies, of which about a third were of low quality, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. The researchers also point to limitations, such as differences in temperature measures between studies, and the possibility that other factors, such as air pollution, may have had an effect on pregnancy outcomes.

Nevertheless, they say the review included more studies than previous reviews, allowing for comparisons of three outcomes and a more comprehensive assessment of heat sensitivity in pregnancy.

As such, they say the review "highlights the need to identify interventions targeting heat related conditions in pregnant women, especially in women at the age extremes and in lower socioeconomic groups, and to determine their effectiveness."

They argue that pregnant women "merit a place alongside the groups typically considered as at high risk for heat related conditions."

"Given increases in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, the number of pregnant women exposed to these conditions worldwide, and the significant individual and societal burdens associated with preterm birth and stillbirth, research and policy initiatives to deal with these connections are a high priority," they conclude.


Public link once embargo lifts: https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m3811

the bmjpregnancypregnancy losspreterm birthnewborn
Source : The BMJ
Hina Zahid
Hina Zahid

    Hina Zahid Joined Medical Dialogue in 2017 with a passion to work as a Reporter. She coordinates with various national and international journals and association and covers all the stories related to Medical guidelines, Medical Journals, rare medical surgeries as well as all the updates in the medical field. Email: editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

    Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

    Show Full Article
    Next Story

    Editorial

    Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer - Dr Aditya Murali

    Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer...

    Aspirin in Primary Prevention- When to Consider?

    Aspirin in Primary Prevention- When to Consider?

    Featured image representing medico legal

    What's the Role of Expert Opinion in Medical Negligence?

    7- Point Discharge Protocol for AECOPD: Time to Inculcate in Practice

    7- Point Discharge Protocol for AECOPD: Time to Inculcate in Practice

    Aspirin Use in Women Aged 40-50 with Diabetes and Hypertension: Identifying the Ideal Candidates

    Aspirin Use in Women Aged 40-50 with Diabetes and Hypertension: Identifying the Ideal Candidates

    View All

    Journal Club Today

    High Blood Pressure in Children Tied to Mothers Pregnancy Health: NIH Study Finds

    High Blood Pressure in Children Tied to Mother's Pregnancy Health: NIH Study Finds

    View All

    Health News Today

    Health Bulletin 10/ May/ 2025

    Health Bulletin 10/ May/ 2025

    View All
    © 2022 All Rights Reserved.
    Powered By: Hocalwire
    X
    We use cookies for analytics, advertising and to improve our site. You agree to our use of cookies by continuing to use our site. To know more, see our Cookie Policy and Cookie Settings.Ok