India Logged Rise in Pregnancy Heat-Risk Days in Last 5 Years: Study

India experienced an average of six additional pregnancy heat-risk days each year over the past five years, a new analysis by Climate Central has found.

- Jayashree Nandi

NEW DELHI:

Pregnancy heat-risk days are when maximum temperatures exceed 95% of historic local temperatures, a threshold associated with increased risks of preterm birth. Preterm birth can have lasting health effects on the baby and increase the risk of maternal health problems after birth too.

During the past five years, climate change has at least doubled the average annual number of days that are dangerously hot for pregnant women in nearly 90% of countries and territories, and 63% of cities, compared to a world without climate change. Climate Central, a US-based non-governmental organization which communicates climate change science, effects, and solutions, analyzed daily temperatures from 2020 to 2024 across 247 countries and territories and 940 cities to measure the rise in "pregnancy heat-risk days".