Pregnancy Health Risks Linked to Heat Waves as Temperatures Rise
- Study shows sultry weather raises threat of severe ailments
- Research hints at dangers among low-income population
Emergency medical technicians respond to a pregnant woman suffering from dehydration in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Photographer: Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Exposure to extremely hot weather raises pregnant women’s risk of severe health complications, researchers said in a study coming at the tail end of the warmest summer on record.
High outdoor temperatures during pregnancy were associated with a 27% increase in risk for such complications as sepsis, a potentially lethal reaction to infection, or dangerous increases in blood pressure, according to an 11-year review of more than 400,000 pregnancies in a Southern California health system.