Climate crisis poses serious risks for pregnancy, investigation finds

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/18/climate-change-air-pollution-investigation-study


Emily Holden in Washington
Thu 18 Jun 2020 11.00 EDT


More than a decade of overwhelming evidence links air pollution and heat exposure with negative pregnancy outcomes in the US, according to a new review of dozens of studies.

The investigation, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, identified 57 studies since 2007 showing a significant association between the two factors and the risk of pre-term birth, low birth weight and stillbirth.

Black mothers were particularly at risk, as were people with asthma.

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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists already finds climate change to be an urgent threat to women’s health, in addition to a major public health challenge. Climate change is linked with worsening cardiac disease, respiratory disease, mental health and exposure to infectious diseases. But pregnant women and developing fetuses are especially vulnerable to its effects.

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