Researchers Alan Barreca (University of California, Los Angeles) and Jessamine Schaller (Cambridge) studied birth data in the United States between 1969 and 1988 to trace the relationship between air temperature and the number of premature births. They published their research in the journal Nature Climate Change, reports SCIENCEalert.
The scientists found out that there was a spike in the birth rate on hot days, and its decline during the cold weather. According to the study, the impact of heat annually led to the birth of about 25 thousand babies slightly earlier than the planned term - in total, this led to the loss of more than 150 thousand gestational days every year. According to forecasts of Barreki and Schaller, by the end of the century, the number of "lost" days of pregnancy will increase to 253,000 per year, and the number of premature births will increase to 42,000.
The average duration of pregnancy (from conception to delivery) is 38 weeks. Shortening gestational age puts babies at risk of cognitive decline, suggesting that air temperature has a direct impact on human health, increasing the risk of harm to health in the event of warming.
We will remind you that at the end of November, the European Parliament declared an emergency climate situation, because, according to experts, the temperature on the planet may increase by 3.2°C by the end of the century. Scientists warn that humanity is running out of time to prevent changes. Climate change will threaten the health of every inhabitant of the planet. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths each year.
The consequences of global warming affect all of humanity, as well as those people who want to have children. Indeed, climate change affects pregnant women who have premature births with consequent risk to the child.
Wizz Air. A recent study titled "Weather Shocks and Health at Birth in Colombia" found that the health of this group will be greatly affected. The longer the heat wave lasts, the more likely the birth will be premature. Although the effects are not strong at the moment, with only a 0 percentage point reduction in the chance of stillbirth and a 5 point reduction in the chance of a healthy baby being born, the study notes that if temperatures continue to rise, there will be more heat waves and health risks of the mother and her child are likely to increase as well.
If the pregnancy period is more than 28 weeks, a medical certificate must be provided. Wizz Air accepts a document from a doctor issued no earlier than 6 days before the departure date.
Being able to cope with climate change is essential to having healthy offspring, which means being able to have the income to survive. We must also talk about the emotional health of pregnant women, because if they are stressed or depressed, the fetus will perceive it. In fact, a study conducted in Kenya showed that a decrease in rainfall of 1 millimeter per year increases the level of the stress hormone -cortisol- by 0%. If the stress level remains high for several days or weeks, the likelihood of developing diseases will increase.
To protect the health of mothers and children, both should be helped by increased investment in health care to be able to control pregnancy, for example by facilitating access to food especially for families with few resources.