A growing body of research suggests links between extreme heat and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Currently, there is a problem affecting many regions of the world. Kilifi, a mostly hot and humid coastal region of Kenya, is dealing with the effects of deforestation and climate change.
Increasing temperatures, more frequent floods, and longer droughts are now common in this region. This region poses many challenges, including food security threats and human health risks. “Sometimes it’s too hot, too hot,” said the county’s reproductive health coordinator. Poorly ventilated houses create a problem that gets stronger.
especially the vulnerable, including pregnant women.
There are many problems that the country has seen, including abortions and pregnancy complications, due to the high rate of anemia in the region, a lack of access to clean water, and poor health education and medical care. only then did his team begin to link the negative effects of maternal health to above-normal temperatures in the region. “We, as healthcare providers, have never thought of heat as a causative factor,” says Miriti.
Researchers found that high temperatures increase the chance of premature births and babies weighing less than 2500 grams. Exposure to high temperatures can also increase the risk of stillbirth, where the baby may die in the womb or after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Why do high temperatures impact pregnancy?
In real life, heat affects just about everyone, but when it comes to pregnant women, it gets worse. Their bodies already work hard to maintain a normal temperature, but cooling down in hot weather takes a lot of work. That means pregnant women are at greater risk of dehydration and heatstroke. Experts predict that pregnancy outcomes will worsen in the future because the high humidity and high temperatures will cause the body’s cooling system to become ineffective.
Sari Kovats, an environmental epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says: “If you’re too hot early, you could be at risk of having your baby delivered.” “That’s why pregnant women are advised not to go to the sauna,” he said.
Combating heat and health risks
In the room, there is a medical specialist at the African International University in Nairobi named Adelaide Lusambili.
and her friends are working with the community to develop measures to improve the health of mothers. Among them are solving the problems of water scarcity, sensitizing people to avoid drinking water, reducing excessive work during pregnancy, and building better ventilation and air conditioning in health centers. In India, many cities and states have developed heat action programs that include issuing heat advisories when temperatures exceed certain thresholds, making residents aware of the health risks of fire, and training medical personnel to diagnose and treat specific symptoms. of heat. “During the summer, we engage in campaigns,” says Khyati Kakkad, a pediatrician at LG Hospital in Ahmedabad, a city in western India that organized the province’s first heat action program. to stay hydrated, how to maintain a cool home environment, and discuss health hazards. ” He added that while there is progress, there is more to do, especially to protect vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and infants during the heat.
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