Harmfully hot days for pregnant women in Japan nearly doubled over past five years
Extreme heat has increased the risks of preterm births and other pregnancy complications in Japan, with climate change helping to nearly double the number of days that are harmfully hot for pregnant women in the past five years, new research by a U.S. climate scientists' group has shown.
A report released Wednesday by Climate Central, a nonprofit science and communications organization, says the number of 'pregnancy heat-risk days' — or days when maximum temperatures exceed 95% of historic local temperatures — has gone up by 15 days to 33 days on average per year.
The research, part of the group's analysis of temperature data from 2020 to 2024 across 247 countries and territories and 940 cities worldwide, shows some prefectures and cities bore the brunt of climate change more severely than others.
For example, by prefecture, Okinawa saw the biggest increase in pregnancy heat-risk days due to climate change, with 36 days added annually to bring the total to 42 days. It was followed by Tokyo, which saw 28 days added for a total of 43 days, and Kagoshima, which saw 22 days added for a total of 33 days. By city, Osaka saw the biggest jump in the number of such dangerously hot days, with climate change attributed to 70% of its 33 days in total, followed by a 64% increase in Kyoto and a 57% surge in Kobe. The findings for Japan are in sync with the trend worldwide. In most countries and territories, climate change at least doubled the annual number of pregnancy heat-risk days, compared to a world without climate change, the analysis shows.
'Extreme heat is now one of the most pressing threats to pregnant people worldwide, pushing more pregnancies into high-risk territory, especially in places already struggling with limited health care access,' said Dr. Bruce Bekkar, a women's health physician, in a statement. 'Cutting fossil fuel emissions isn't just good for the planet — it's a crucial step toward protecting pregnant people and newborns around the world.'
Extreme heat is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, who produce a lot of energy for the fetus and the placenta, thereby making it difficult for them to naturally cool down, said Takeo Fujiwara, a professor and public health expert at the Institute of Science Tokyo, who was not involved in the study. 'They are more likely to sweat, but prolonged exposure to severe heat raises the risk of dehydration and heat stroke for them.'
Pregnant women exposed to extreme heat are also more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as the premature rupture of the amniotic sac, premature placental separation and bleeding, Fujiwara said. Heat stress can also raise the risks of stillbirths, miscarriages, preterm births and low-weight births, as well as congenital abnormalities for the babies, he added.
Pregnant women should be mindful of these health risks during the summer and make sure they use air conditioners and fans, while taking frequent water breaks and avoiding going out during the hotter times of the day, Fujiwara said.
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