As extreme heat events rise due to climate change, pregnant people are facing increased health risks. Conditions like heatstroke, dehydration, and respiratory issues worsen in high temperatures, but expectant mothers are especially vulnerable.
A Climate Central report (May 14) found that from 2020 to 2024, the number of pregnancy heat-risk days—days hotter than 95% of past temperatures—doubled in 222 countries. Developing regions like the Caribbean, Central and South America, and sub-Saharan Africa saw the greatest increases, areas already struggling with limited health care access.
“Pregnancy makes it harder to regulate body temperature,” says Shruthi Mahalingaiah of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This affects both the mother and fetus. Extreme heat raises risks of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and harms fetal development, including risks of birth defects like spina bifida.
Anna Bonell, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, adds that preterm births, stillbirths, and low birth weight are also linked to extreme heat. A 2024 study (JAMA Network Open) confirmed higher rates of preterm births during prolonged heat waves.
Climate change also disrupts access to contraception and pregnancy tests, which can degrade in high temperatures. Since 2011, an estimated 11.5 million women across 26 countries have faced contraception disruptions due to climate-related displacement.
Marginalized communities are at greater risk. Lower-income groups often lack access to air conditioning, shade, and quality healthcare, making heat-related complications worse. Proximity to pollution sources like highways adds further risks.
Beyond heat, air pollution increases chances of high blood pressure in pregnancy, low birth weight, and fetal organ damage, according to the World Health Organization. Severe storms like hurricanes also contribute to early births due to stress, pollution, and healthcare disruption.
Climate disasters damage healthcare infrastructure. A 2023 report by XDI found a 41% rise in hospital damage risks due to human-driven climate change. Events like Hurricane Sandy highlighted how extreme weather cripples prenatal care services.
Experts emphasize the need for more research on how climate change affects pregnancies. “We need to study both the immediate and long-term impacts of climate on reproductive health,” says Mahalingaiah.
Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it’s already reshaping the ability to have healthy pregnancies.
Related topics:
Try These RA-Friendly Cooking Shortcuts
3 Ways to Prevent Colon Cancer Beyond Eating Healthy
Nourish Your Brain: Healthy Eating Series with the Alzheimer’s Association
