Extreme heat at work can double stillbirth risk, India study finds

Working in extreme heat can double the risk of stillbirth and miscarriage for pregnant women, according to new research from India.

They want specific health advice for working pregnant women globally.

Eight hundred pregnant women in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu took part in the study, which was started in 2017 by the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER) in Chennai.

But overall, the study found that women who worked in similar conditions as her were twice as likely to suffer a stillbirth or miscarriage than those working in cooler environments.

The pregnant women in the study in India really are “at the forefront of experiencing climate change,” says Prof Hirst, who is a UK-based consultant obstetrician, and Professor of Global Women’s Health at medical research organisation The George Institute.

There is currently no official international advice for pregnant working women in the heat.

In the meantime, she says pregnant women working in the heat can protect themselves by: