Extreme daily and nighttime heat exposure in the third trimester of pregnancy was linked to preterm birth in an Australian study, according to findings published in JAMA Pediatrics.
The study was prompted by an increase in frequency of extreme heat days, which is attributable to effects of climate change, according to one of the study’s authors.
“Our understanding of the relationship between heat exposure and preterm birth remains limited, and furthermore, the potential mitigating effects of green spaces or trees on heat-related preterm birth are not yet fully understood,”