Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 19, 2025
06:39
Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
3.2K
Climate Change and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Approach to Reviewing the Data
Caroline B Braun1, Sonja A Rasmussen2, Denise J Jamieson3
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Birth Defects Research
|June 16, 2025
Summary
Climate change negatively impacts pregnant individuals and newborns through various pathways. Further research is needed to fully understand these climate change health effects.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Reproductive Health
- Neonatal Health
Background:
- Growing evidence links climate change to adverse human health outcomes.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) identified six key exposure pathways: extreme weather, heat stress, air quality, food, water, and vector ecology.
- This study focuses on the health impacts of these pathways on pregnant persons and neonates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate climate change-related health effects on pregnant individuals and newborns.
- To assess impacts across six identified WHO climate change exposure pathways.
- To synthesize existing evidence on climate change and maternal-neonatal health.
Main Methods:
- PubMed searches were conducted, tailored to each WHO climate change pathway.
- Systematic reviews were prioritized for heat stress, air quality, food, and vector pathways.
- Broader quantitative study parameters were included for extreme weather and water pathways.
Main Results:
- Heat stress, air quality, and vector distribution are linked to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.
- Evidence also suggests harmful effects from extreme weather, food, and water pathways, though less conclusive.
- Specific adverse outcomes for pregnant persons and neonates were identified.
Conclusions:
- Climate change poses detrimental risks to the health of pregnant persons and neonates.
- Additional research is necessary to fully elucidate the mechanisms of climate change impact.
- Understanding these effects is crucial for public health interventions and policy development.
Related Concept Videos
01:50Global Climate Change
24.8K
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
24.8K
01:16What is Climate?
19.2K
Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.
19.2K
01:07Teratogenicity
2.8K
The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
2.8K
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
184
Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
184
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
6.5K
Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when...
6.5K