How can we help pregnant women better cope with heat?
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For the study, 92 pregnant farmers in and around Keneba were examined for signs of heat stress once every two months as they went about their daily tasks. What Bonell discovered was striking: for every 1C (1.8F) rise in temperature, foetal stress - indicated by a rapid heart rate and reduced blood flow to the placenta - rose by 17%. A third of mothers experienced such symptoms.
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During pregnancy, hormonal changes and an expanding skin surface area increase one's exposure to heat. Discomfort aside, there's growing evidence that extreme heat can have deleterious impacts on both a mother and her unborn baby, ranging from hypertension to stillbirth.
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Yet the reality is that practical support for pregnant people dealing with extreme heat is still minimal today. Many nations, including the UK, don't specifically reference pregnant women in their public heat guidance. According to the US non-governmental organisation Human Rights Watch, as of August 2020, the official heat safety web pages from US cities were more likely to mention pets in their guidance. The United Nations Population Fund - the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency - found in one report that just 20% of the 119 countries that have made climate change pledges mention maternal and foetal health in their plans.
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But in a pilot scheme launched in 2022, Lusambili and her colleagues trialled a public awareness programme at clinics to educate expectant mothers on the dangers of heat and the steps they can take to keep themselves and their babies cool. These included limiting their outside chores to the cooler hours of the day, wearing fewer layers, and boiling and drinking plenty of water.
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To this end, Human Rights Watch is partnering with doulas who will inform low-income pregnant people on how to guard against heat in Miami-Dade, Florida.
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