How Climate Change Affects Pregnancy

If temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, pregnancies could be shortened. A study has now examined the connection between heat and previous births.

Warm winters, floods, forest fires – so far, the consequences of climate change still seem far away for many people in Germany. This could soon change. American scientists are now giving a worrying outlook: A study published in the magazine “Nature Climate Change“ shows the direct effects that rising temperatures can have on reproduction.

Heat Shortens Pregnancies

Scientists at the University of California in Los Angeles took a closer look at millions of births in the USA between 1969 and 1988. They wanted to find out whether the climate, or more precisely heat, can influence the risk of births in pregnant women. So they paid particular attention to hot spells. The result was that significantly more babies were born on hot days and the days that followed. But not only the increase in births was striking. Many of the additional children were born up to two weeks too early. On average, a shortening of the pregnancy due to heat could be observed for six days.

Can Climate Change Trigger Premature Births?

Is there therefore a link between climate change and premature births? According to “dpa”, Christian Albring, president of the professional association of gynaecologists, gives the all-clear for now: the effect of heat is already known and would even be used to speed up the birth. Albring also points out that humans are very adaptable. The body can therefore adapt to permanently elevated temperatures.

However, it is uncertain whether adaptation will proceed at the same rate as climate change. Anyone who was already heavily pregnant in summer knows about the strain that heat places on the body. Here we have summarized the direct consequences of climate change for you.