He heat stress to which pregnant women are exposed affects both growth of the fetus as well as the baby even after it has already been born, according to the conclusions of a study published this Tuesday by the magazine ‘The Lancet Planetary Health’.
A new analysis by a team from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine indicates that exposure to high levels of heat pcould impact so much on the growth of the fetus as in the development of the infante until he reaches the age of two years.
This is the first study of this type that shows that heat stress could have an effect on the development of babies after they are born.
The research, which examined data from babies and their mothers collected in a clinical trial, found a small reduction in birth weight for gestational age for each one-degree increase in average daily temperature during the first trimester of pregnancy.
In the test, no effect on growth due to stress caused by heat during the second trimester of pregnancy.
The investigation suggests there could be an increase in head circumference compared to body for gestational age in fetuses exposed to heat stress during the third trimester of gestation.
The results also show that infants up to two years of age exposed to high temperatures in their environments could have lower weights and heights than the corresponding at his age.
The greatest reductions were seen in children between 6 and 18 months who experienced higher average daily levels of heat stress in the previous quarter.
At twelve months, hechildren who have been exposed Those who experienced heat stress equivalent to 30 degrees Celsius were more likely to have low weight for their height and age compared to those who experienced temperature stress equivalent to 25 degrees.
The team, led by researchers from The Gambia Medical Research Council Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, considers that the impacts from heat exposure should be urgently considered in public health interventions in order to reduce the impact of climate change on pregnant women and their children.
The assistant professor and leader of the study, Ana Bonell, points out that “the study shows that the crises of climate change, food insecurity and malnutrition are at hand.”disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable, including small children.
“These findings add to previous evidence showing that the first trimester (of pregnancy) is a vulnerable time for heat exposure and it is important that we now consider what factors could contribute to the relationship,” he notes.
According to Bonell, “it is likely that heat stress can impact appetite, food intake and availability and we are also assessing whether there could be direct effects on cellular and inflammatory pathways, which adds to the already reduced ability of pregnant women and infants to regulate their own body temperature.”
