A scoping review on heat indices used to measure the effects of heat on maternal and perinatal health

Abstract

A previous systematic review has shown associations between exposure to high temperatures and negative birth outcomes. To date, a scoping review for heat indices and their use to measure effects of heat on maternal and perinatal health has not been considered.ObjectivesTo provide a scoping review on heat stress and indices for those interested in the epidemiology and working in extreme heat and maternal perinatal health.MethodsThis study is a scoping review based on a previous review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews. It identifies the main ways heat stress through different heat indices impacts maternal and perinatal health in available literature. For documents that met the inclusion criteria, we extracted 23 publications.ResultsWe find four heat indices: heat index, apparent temperature, wet bulb globe temperature and universal thermal climate index. Exposure to elevated levels of heat stress can be associated with preterm birth. In addition, the more intense and prolonged duration of exposure to heat stress, the greater the risk of stillbirth. Negative birth outcomes can occur from change in hormonal levels (ie, cortisol), dehydration and blood flow diversion away from the placenta and fetus when suffering from heat stress. All studies demonstrate that certain socioeconomic factors influence the effect of heat on maternal and perinatal health outcomes.ConclusionWe make three suggestions based on the results: (1) heat indices should be standardised across studies and explained. (2) An increased number of perinatal and maternal health outcomes explored. Finally, (3) enhanced collaboration across climate and health to improve understanding.