Extreme heat is linked to pregnancy complications, including stillbirths and miscarriages — and the risk is growing
Our warming planet is putting those who are pregnant at higher risk - and the impacts go far beyond heat-related illnesses. Research shows that along with the dangers presented to the general population, extreme heat puts pregnant people - and their unborn fetuses - at risk of life-threatening conditions.
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That danger will likely only expand going forward. Global temperatures are rising, largely driven by the overuse of fossil fuels that spew planet-warming emissions. And those rising temperatures are causing the typical mosquito season to last longer, extending the risk to vulnerable populations.
But this is just a mosquito-sized portion of a much larger threat that extreme heat poses to those who are pregnant.
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A bite risk for expecting parents
For those who are expecting, mosquito bites aren't just a nuisance - infections may pose a more serious threat to the fetus. Although these cases remain rare in the U.S., the CDC says West Nile, Zika and Oropouche viruses all pose a risk to those who are pregnant, with the latter two being more dangerous. West Nile, the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental U.S., can be transmitted to fetuses, although the risk is low, the CDC says, adding that there have only been a few cases of newborn infections.
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Heat is deadly - even for the unborn
The world is already feeling the impact of climate change in a number of ways, with increasingly frequent temperature records, extreme storms, economic fallout and a wide range of health consequences.
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