Health Effects of Climate Change During Pregnancy and Childhood
California’s climate is changing. Climate change can affect our health through exposures to extreme heat, floods, and other events like wildfires. Because hot weather is becoming more common, heat-related health problems in children and during pregnancy could increase. Children and those who are pregnant can have serious health problems from heat, even on warm days. There are things that individuals and communities can do to reduce the risk of heat-related health problems. It helps to be prepared!
OEHHA is working to ensure that children and pregnancy related special risks are addressed. OEHHA has created fact sheets for the public, held a symposium on Heat Impacts on Children and Pregnancy in 2023, and collected information on extreme heat as an indicator of climate change in California.
Fact Sheets
These fact sheets describe why some people may be more sensitive to heat, how to recognize signs of heat illness, and how to stay cool and reduce the risk of heat illness.
Related Work from the Children’s Environmental Health Center
OEHHA and the Children’s Environmental Health Center hold an annual symposium on emerging issue in children’s environmental health, including climate change, and provide reports to the California Legislature on CalEPA activities that protect or inform children’s environmental health.
Key Research Publications
OEHHA scientists research the health effects of climate change on human health. Below are several key studies that focus on health effects during pregnancy and childhood.
- Impacts of fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke on respiratory and cardiovascular health in California. Heaney A, Stowell JD, Liu JC, Basu R, Marlier M and Kinney P (2022). GeoHealth 6(6):e2021GH000578.
- Association of air pollution and heat exposure with preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth in the US: A systematic review. Bekkar B, Pacheco S, Basu R and DeNicola N (2020). JAMA Network Open 3(6):e208243-e208243.
- Extreme heat episodes and risk of preterm birth in California, 2005–2013. Ilango SD, Weaver M, Sheridan P, Schwarz L, Clemesha RE, et al. (2020). Environment International 137:105541
- Temperature and term low birth weight in California. Basu R, Rau R, Pearson D, Malig B (2018). American Journal of Epidemiology, 187(11):2306-2314.
- The impact of maternal factors on the association between temperature and preterm delivery. Basu R, Chen H, Li D-K, Avalos LA (2017). Environmental Research, 154:109-114.