Equipping perinatal teams to practice climate-smart healthcare

Pregnant people and infants are at risk of adverse health effects from climate change. These climate change-related outcomes include stillbirth, prematurity, low birth weight, congenital anomalies, and aberrant neurodevelopment. Pregnant people and infants are disproportionately affected by climate change, and it is crucial for perinatal healthcare providers to be well-informed about these impacts on patients and their families. Understanding climate change and its related health impacts requires extensive education targeting healthcare workers from medical school throughout their training, those in allied health fields, and those in the professional environment, via continuing educational opportunities. This perspective addresses content for a climate curriculum for perinatal professionals, including health effects, environmental and social justice, disaster planning, and strategies for preparing for and mitigating the impacts of worsening climate change. Further, we discuss the recent evolution of policies impacting climate and opportunities for advocacy.