Heat exposure increases risk of premature birth: Research

Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) A pregnant woman's risk of premature delivery increases when exposed to higher temperatures during the later stages of pregnancy, according to research conducted in Taiwan and announced at a medical seminar on Saturday.

The work was part of a research project conducted by a team led by Taipei Medical University College of Public Health Dean Chen Yi-hua (陳怡樺), and was presented at a seminar on the impact and adaptation of pregnancy/children as a result of climate change.

It integrated cohort studies between 2011 and 2022 in the Greater Taipei Area and weather data from the Central Weather Administration to analyze the influence of high temperatures during pregnancy on fetuses.

The research results show that for a woman who falls pregnant in the winter (and gives birth in the summer), the higher nighttime temperatures she is exposed to in late pregnancy has a negative impact on her and the child's physical and mental well-being.

For the baby, every one degree Celsius increase in the average temperature increases by 6 percent the risk of premature birth and low birth weight, with a corresponding 6.53 gram decrease.

For the mother, higher temperatures also lead to higher rates of depression.

Taipei Medical University College of Public Health Vice Dean Chao Hsing (趙馨) observed that there are many mechanisms linking antepartum depression and premature birth. Heat can lead to negative emotions, thereby increasing the risk of premature birth.

Lee Hung-chang (李宏昌), an honorary physician at Mackay Children's Hospital, also spoke on the health challenges climate change poses to fetuses and infants at the seminar, saying that pregnant women and children are high-risk groups vulnerable to extreme climate change.

Meanwhile, the Taipei Medical University research also showed that exposure to green spaces during pregnancy is significantly correlated to the development of a child's ability to concentrate.

Chao called on pregnant women to take walks in green spaces, as well as enhance their knowledge of heat risks and take necessary precautions.

She also expressed the hope that the relevant authorities will devote more resources to urban greening to protect vulnerable groups against climate change.