Climate change-driven heatwaves are making pregnancy riskier: Report

Developing nations bearing the brunt of rising pregnancy risks, despite contributing least to the climate crisis, finds report

A growing body of research is pointing to a troubling trend: climate change isn’t just about rising seas or melting glaciers — it’s making pregnancy more dangerous. A new analysis by Climate Central looked at five years of temperature data (2020–2024) from nearly every country and found that extreme heat, made worse by human-driven climate change, is putting pregnant people at higher risk of complications. The report zeroes in on what it calls “pregnancy heat-risk days” — days when temperatures soar beyond what’s considered normal for a given location. Even a single such day, researchers say, can raise the risk of preterm birth, stillbirth, or other serious health issues.

Most vulnerable countries are also the most affected

In 222 out of 247 countries studied, climate change at least doubled the number of heat-risk days each year. In places like Palau, Tuvalu, and parts of the Caribbean, nearly all of the dangerously hot days during pregnancy were linked directly to climate change. Some cities, including Monrovia in Liberia and Freetown in Sierra Leone, experienced more than 70 additional heat-risk days per year — that’s about a quarter of the length of an average pregnancy.

“Many of the most affected countries are small island nations and developing countries, whose residents are among the most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change despite contributing the least to greenhouse gas emissions,” the report noted. These countries have limited access to cooling, and even more limited access to quality maternal care, the report added. For pregnant individuals already dealing with poverty, food insecurity, or inadequate housing, a prolonged heatwave can quickly spiral into a health emergency.

Heat is not the only threat

But heat is only part of the story. The report also highlights how climate change is amplifying other threats to maternal health — like floods, which can lead to exposure to contaminated water, or air pollution, which has been linked to high blood pressure during pregnancy. And when infrastructure breaks down in the wake of disasters, it often means less access to hospitals or clinics, especially in remote areas.

“Even a single day of extreme heat can raise the risk of serious pregnancy complications,” said Dr. Kristina Dahl, VP for Science at Climate Central. “Climate change is increasing extreme heat and stacking the odds against healthy pregnancies worldwide, especially in places where care is already hard to access. The impacts on maternal and infant health are likely to worsen if we don’t stop burning fossil fuels and urgently tackle climate change.”

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