American researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found a link between increased heat and a higher risk of serious maternal diseases. To work published In the scientific journal JAMA Open Network.
According to the World Health Organization classification, serious maternal disease is any condition associated with pregnancy that has a strong negative impact on the woman’s body and/or complicates the course of pregnancy.
As experts found, the level of serious maternal morbidity in 2014 almost tripled compared to 20 years ago.
The authors of the study examined more than 403.6 thousand cases of pregnancy. Long-term heat exposure was measured by the number of hot days during pregnancy. The analysis showed that prolonged exposure to high temperatures on the expectant mother’s body increases the risk of serious discomfort, especially in the third trimester (from 28 to 40 weeks).
Scientists noted that becoming pregnant during the cold season (November to April) makes women who become pregnant from May to October more vulnerable to the effects of heat. They say the impact of heat on the health of pregnant women requires urgent action, especially in areas most affected by climate change.