On this edition of Your Call's One Planet Series, we discuss the correlation between extreme heat and preterm birth.
A new investigation from Grist, Vox, and The 19th found that heat waves are making pregnancy more dangerous and exacerbating existing maternal health disparities.
As the climate crisis continues, the number, intensity and duration of heat waves will only get worse. Without intervention, those heat waves will cause millions of babies around the world to be born preterm. Higher temperatures will also have knock-on impacts to gestational and fetal health.
Guest:
Virginia Gewin, freelance science journalist
Resources:
Grist, Vox, and The 19th: Expecting worse: Giving birth on a planet in crisis
Grist, Vox, and The 19th: The link between extreme heat and preterm birth
The Guardian: Brutal heatwave cooks US south-west, an early sign of sizzling summer ahead
