Global warming escalates pregnancy complications due to rising heatwaves: Study
The new report from the US-based research group Climate Central sought to measure how much more pregnant women have been exposed to excessive heat since 2020 -- and to what extent climate change is to blame. In 222 out of the 247 countries and territories studied, "climate change at least doubled the average annual number of pregnancy heat-risk days experienced during the past five years", the report said.
The biggest increases were in developing countries where access to healthcare is limited, such as in the Caribbean, Central and South America, the Pacific islands, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers only looked at the rise in potentially dangerous hot days and did not examine the extent to which pregnant women were actually affected by heat in the countries.
Ana Bonell, a maternal health and extreme heat researcher at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine not involved in the report, said it "gives clear evidence of the growing exposure risk to extreme heat".
The findings could also apply to the elderly, another group who are more at risk during blisteringly hot periods, she told AFP. While researchers are increasingly documenting the many ways that extreme heat can threaten human health, there remain "many unknowns" about the physiological mechanisms to explain why this happens, Bonell said.
A large 2024 study in Nature Medicine estimated that heatwaves increase the odds of having a complication during pregnancy by 1.25 times. Beyond wider efforts to fight climate change -- which is largely caused by humans burning fossil fuels -- experts advised local policies to help communities beat the heat.
These include "greening neighbourhoods, limiting pollution, creating cool areas and informing residents about the risks," French epidemiologist Lucie Adelaide said. In a statement linked to the new report, she also recommended that existing information about the health risks of heatwaves include warnings for pregnant women, who are currently rarely mentioned in such efforts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Natco Pharma launches generic drug for PAH in the U.S.
Natco Pharma has launched Bosentan tablets for oral suspension, 32mg, a generic version of Actelion Pharmaceuticals' Tracleer in the U.S. It holds the first-to-file status for this product and will have 180-day generic drug exclusivity, Natco said on Wednesday (August 20, 2025. Lupin is its marketing partner for the product. Bosentan TFOS, 32mg, had estimated sales of $10 million in the U.S. for 12 months ending June'25, the Hyderabad-based company said citing industry sales data. The drug is indicated for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (WHO Group 1) in paediatric patients aged 3 years and older with idiopathic or congenital PAH to improve pulmonary vascular resistance, which is expected to result in an improvement in exercise ability.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Shrimp, salad kits and more: See list of FDA food recalls in 2025 so far
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently recalled frozen shrimp imported from an Indonesian firm over fears of Cesium-137 contamination, a radioactive isotope. The Guardian reported that the agency asked Walmart to pull three lots of Great Value brand frozen shrimp from its shelves. The frozen shrimp were recalled due to the presence of Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope.(Representatie image/Unsplash) Here is a look at other food products that were recalled this year so far. Also read: Novo Nordisk Shares Rise After FDA Approves Wegovy for Liver Disease Frozen shrimp The FDA issued an urgent recall of imported frozen shrimp sold at Walmart stores from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, an Indonesia-based firm. Since the products were prepared or held under 'insanitary conditions', the FDA fears they were contaminated by Cesium-137 (Cs-137). 'Consumers should not eat or serve certain lots of Great Value raw frozen shrimp sold at Walmart stores in AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MO, MS, OH, OK, PA, TX, and WV,' the FDA announced on its website. According to the agency, consumption of Cesium-137 can result in cancer. Frozen sprouted beans In July, the FDA reported that Chetak LLC Group recalled frozen sprouted beans over concerns about Salmonella infection and possible health risks. The FDA informed that Salmonella could cause fatal infection in people with a fragile immune system, including children and elderly people. Besides causing diarrhoea and abdominal pain, Salmonella can lead to arterial infections and arthritis, as per the FDA. The sprouted beans products that Chetak LLC Group recalled were Sprouted Mat (Moth) and Sprouted Moong. Also read: Grow a Garden: Full list of prickly plants and how to get them Sandwiches and snack items Fresh & Ready Foods, LLC, recalled a few of their ready-to-eat products, including sandwiches and other snack items, over fears of Listeria contamination in May this year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one person died and 10 people required hospitalization due to Listeria contamination in two states. The products that Fresh & Ready Foods, LLC, recalled included Fresh & Ready Foods Breakfast Bistro Box, Fresh & Ready Foods Protein Snack, Fresh & Ready Foods Italian Ciabatta Sandwich, Fresh & Ready Foods Ham & Cheese Croissant Sandwich, Fresh & Ready Foods Mike's Tuna Mac Pasta, and Fresh Take Crave Away Street Corn Dipper. Salad kits Little Leaf Farms announced a voluntary withdrawal of salad kits due to the potential presence of undeclared fish and wheat allergens, reported the FDA in March this year. After a consumer noticed the presence of incorrect ingredients in the brand's Southwest Salad Kit, Little Leaf Farms recalled the product. According to Little Leaf Farms, the allergens mentioned had the potential to cause life-threatening allergic reactions to people sensitive to wheat or fish. However, no injuries or illnesses were reported. FAQs Why did the FDA order a recall of frozen shrimp? The FDA ordered a recall of frozen shrimp over fears of Caesium-137 contamination. Were the shrimp products sold at Walmart? Yes, the shrimp products FDA has recalled were sold at Walmart. Which firm sold the shrimp products? Bahari Makmur Sejati, an Indonesian-based firm, sold the shrimp products.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Fireball Lights Up Night Sky In Japan
A flashing fireball dashed across the skies of western Japan, shocking residents and dazzling stargazers, though experts said it was a natural phenomenon and not an alien invasion. Videos and photos emerged online of the extremely bright ball of light visible for hundreds of kilometres shortly after 11:00 pm (1400 GMT) local time on Tuesday. "A white light I had never seen before came down from above, and it became so bright that I could clearly see the shapes of the houses around us," Yoshihiko Hamahata, who was driving in Miyazaki Prefecture, told NHK. "It seemed like daylight. For a moment, I didn't know what had happened and was very surprised," he told the public broadcaster. Toshihisa Maeda, head of Sendai Space Museum in the Kagoshima region in southwestern Japan, said that it was a fireball, an exceptionally bright meteor. It seemed to have gone into the Pacific, he added. "People reported feeling the air vibrate," he told AFP. "It was as bright as the Moon." Objects causing fireball events can exceed one metre (three feet) in size, according to NASA. Fireballs that explode in the atmosphere are technically referred to as bolides, although the terms fireballs and bolides are often used interchangeably.
