It has been well-recognised that human activities account
for most of the global warming. And, in turn, climate change affects the health
of the people.
Global warming is associated with extreme weather events,
variable climates that affect food and water supplies and ecosystem changes and
thereby adversely affects the social determinants of health (food, water and
environment). Natural disasters such as floods, heat waves, cold waves, changing
epidemiology of many infectious diseases are attributed to climate change.
Now, a new study has added another dimension of
reproductive health to the effect of climate change on human health.
The study published online Jan. 30, 2019 in the Journal
of the American Heart Association has suggested that rising temperatures
associated with climate change could trigger heart defects in babies.
The number of babies born with congenital heart defects
(CHD) throughout the United States would be higher in the projection period
(2025–2035) due the exposure of pregnant women to more intense and longer‐lasting heat
events, due to climate change.
The study also observed that the Midwestern states in the
US will potentially have the highest increase in maternal exposure to
excessively hot days, heat event frequency and heat event duration during the
spring and summer months. Large increases in specific CHD subtypes
during spring, including a 34.0% increase in conotruncal CHD in the South
and a 38.6% increase in atrial septal defect in the Northeast were found in the
matching season at the baseline (1995–2005)
Hence, pregnant women should avoid exposure to extreme
heat, especially during early pregnancy (3–8 weeks post conception).
(Source: J Am Heart Assoc. 2019 Feb
5;8(3):e010995, WHO)
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect Confederation of Medical
Associations in Asia and Oceania
(CMAAO)
Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President Heart Care Foundation of India
Past National President IMA
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