Dr. Celine Gounder joins to explain how extreme heat, intensified by climate change, poses growing dangers for pregnant women especially as temperatures soar earlier in the season.

Parts of the southern United States have experienced an early-season heatwave, raising concerns about the risks faced by pregnant women during periods of extreme heat. Dr. Selene Gounder, a medical contributor and editor at large for Public Health at KFF Health News, discussed the findings of a new report indicating that the number of "pregnancy heat risk days"—days when pregnant women face heightened risk of complications—has increased, largely due to climate change.

According to Dr. Gounder, complications related to extreme heat for pregnant women can include heat stroke, heat exhaustion, preterm birth, and increased stress on the heart due to higher blood volume and the potential for dehydration. Over the past five years, there has been a doubling of pregnancy heat risk days across the United States, amounting to approximately 12 additional days annually, with some states such as Utah seeing an increase of nearly a month in these risk days.

Dr. Gounder emphasized that pregnant women, particularly in their third trimester, are most at risk for complications related to extreme heat. She recommended measures such as using cooling centers, seeking shade, staying hydrated, avoiding overexertion, and limiting intake of caffeine, alcohol, and sugary drinks. She also noted that surveillance of heat risk by agencies such as NOAA and the CDC is being reduced, making individual vigilance increasingly important.



Early heatwave raises health risks for pregnant women, experts warn

Dr. Selene Gounder is here, ladies and gentlemen, in today's HealthWatch, and it's not even officially summer yet, but over the weekend, parts of the South were hit with an early season heat wave. Extreme heat can be dangerous for just about everybody, but one group that is particularly at risk, pregnant women. A new report finds that climate change is making things even riskier. Joining us now, as I mentioned, is CBS News medical contributor, Dr. Selene Gounder. She is also editor at large for Public Health at KFF Health News. Dr. Gounder, welcome. So what were the findings of this study, and what can women do to protect themselves? Well, what we're seeing is an increase in the number of pregnancy heat risk days. So these are the days when pregnant women are at increased risk for a number of different complications. So heat stroke, heat exhaustion. And if you have these kinds of symptoms in a pregnant woman, it's even more concerning because you can have other complications, like preterm birth, and... Oh. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And so we really do pay attention to these things because it's not just the health of the mother, but also the health of the baby. And what's happening? Because I know one of the things in pregnancy is you physically have more blood circulating in your body, right? Is that part of what's happening? Well, it's also a major stress on your heart. You're more likely to get dehydrated during pregnancy. You have an increase in your blood volume during pregnancy. And so being dehydrated, being exposed to extra heat, you're working that much harder to keep yourself and your baby cool. The world is getting hotter, right? That's what we hear over and over again. How is that affecting these risks? It's increasing. And so this new report shows the degree to which this is increasing. So over the last five years, we've seen the number of pregnancy heat risk days double. So that's been an increase of about 12 extra days across the U.S. And in Utah, which is the state that's been affected the most, an increase in 23, almost a month of pregnancy heat risk days. So pregnant women really do need to be paying more attention to this than they used to. Throughout their pregnancy or just in the later trimester? Yeah. I mean, I think any woman who's been pregnant will say the third trimester is some of the hardest on their body. And for sure, that is when we see this risk of extreme heat cause the most number of complications is in the third trimester. Any special tips on staying cool? I mean, cooling centers, get your partner to run down to the corner and get you that lemonade. Well, I would say you're going to have to stay on top of this a whole lot more because some of the surveillance that was being done by NOAA, by the CDC, which is now being cut by the Trump administration, that is part of their job is to do the surveillance and let people know and to have those cooling centers open and ready to welcome people. So you're going to have to stay more alert to this. So yes, know where to go. Definitely, it's a public library. Have a place in the shade if you're going to be outside where you know you can take some breaks. Don't overexert yourself on hot days. And then avoid things like caffeine in your drinks, alcohol for sure, you want to probably avoid during pregnancy anyway. And then anything with extra sugar. Even iced coffee? I mean, I know it has caffeine in it, but it's so good. I mean, I allow myself one caffeine drink a day, but talk to your doctor and definitely having your partner run to the store and get the iced lemonade is a plus. Even if you just sat down, fellas, you got to get back up. Right back up. All right, Dr. Gounder, thank you so much.

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