Extreme Heat and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Scoping Review of the Epidemiological Evidence

Sarah Syed, Tracey L. O’Sullivan and Karen P. Phillips
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Sarah Syed: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Tracey L. O’Sullivan: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Karen P. Phillips: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: Background: Extreme heat caused by climate change is a major public health concern, disproportionately affecting poor and racialized communities. Gestational heat exposure is a well-established teratogen in animal studies, with a growing body of literature suggesting human pregnancies are similarly at risk. Characterization of extreme heat as a pregnancy risk is problematic due to nonstandard definitions of heat waves, and variable study designs. To better focus future research in this area, we conducted a scoping review to assess the effects of extreme heat on pregnancy outcomes. Methods: A scoping review of epidemiological studies investigating gestational heat-exposure and published 2010 and 2020, was conducted with an emphasis on study design, gestational windows of sensitivity, adverse pregnancy outcomes and characterization of environmental temperatures. Results: A sample of 84 studies was identified, predominantly set in high-income countries. Preterm birth, birthweight, congenital anomalies and stillbirth were the most common pregnancy outcome variables. Studies reported race/ethnicity and/or socioeconomic variables, however these were not always emphasized in the analysis. Conclusion: Use of precise temperature data by most studies avoided pitfalls of imprecise, regional definitions of heat waves, however inconsistent study design, and exposure windows are a significant challenge to systematic evaluation of this literature. Despite the high risk of extreme heat events and limited mitigation strategies in the global south, there is a significant gap in the epidemiological literature from these regions. Greater consistency in study design and exposure windows would enhance the rigor of this field.

Keywords: extreme heat; pregnancy; climate change; environmental exposure; premature birth; pregnancy outcome (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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