Stiell to warn of heat risks for pregnant women and newborns — Channel NewsAsia

In Nadi, Fiji, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell is set to warn on October 5 about the growing risks of extreme heat for pregnant women and newborns. Channel NewsAsia reports.

Risks during pregnancy

At a pre-summit meeting ahead of COP31, Stiell plans to cite a new survey according to which more than two-thirds of healthcare workers on five continents have encountered complications linked to intense heat over the past five years.

According to Stiell, rising temperatures increase dangers during pregnancy. Climate-driven extreme heat during this period is increasingly associated with preterm birth, stillbirth, low birth weight and complications for mothers.

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Survey data from healthcare workers

The survey, commissioned by the Wellcome charitable foundation, covered 1,000 midwives and doctors in the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Brazil and Zimbabwe. Almost all respondents reported providing care to mothers or infants affected by extreme heat.

About one-third of respondents said they had seen cases of low birth weight or growth restriction, feeding difficulties, dehydration or heat-related illnesses. In the respondents’ view, these cases were the result of extreme heat.

Wellcome Chair and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that climate change is putting mothers and infants at growing risk. The pre-summit events in Fiji and Tuvalu precede the COP31 conference, which is due to take place next month in Turkey.