Hot weather raises risk of early childbirth, study finds

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/dec/02/climate-hot-weather-raises-risk-early-childbirth-study


Nina Lakhani
Mon 2 Dec 2019 11.00 EST
Last modified on Mon 2 Dec 2019 14.50 EST

Hot weather increases the risk of early childbirth, which in turn is linked to worse health and developmental outcomes for children, a major new study has found.

The report could have fresh implications for the impact of global heating on human health.

In the US, about 25,000 babies were born up to two weeks early each year as a result of heatwaves between 1969 and 1988, according to the research published in Nature Climate Change (NCC).

Childbirth rates increased by 5% on days when temperatures reached 90F, but access to air conditioning mitigated three-quarters of the impact of heat exposure.

Across the world, hot days are getting hotter and more frequent as a result of global heating.

If greenhouse gas emissions are not significantly curtailed, by the end of the century the National Climate Assessment estimates there will be up to 30 more days over 90F each year in the US. Another study projects that the annual number of days above 100F will double.

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In later life, these slightly early babies are more likely to have respiratory problems and higher blood pressure, as well as an increased risk of psychiatric and neurological conditions. Academic outcomes are also negatively affected in early babies, according to a millennium cohort study of 6,000 British children.

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