Elevated outdoor temperatures and risk of stillbirth.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The causes of stillbirth are poorly understood, including whether elevated outdoor temperatures increase risk. We assessed the relationship between elevated ambient temperatures and risk of stillbirth by gestational age and cause of death during warm months in a temperate region.

Methods

We performed a case-crossover study of 5047 stillbirths in continental Quebec, Canada, between the months of April through September from 1981 to 2011. Using data on maximum daily temperatures adjusted for relative humidity, we estimated associations with stillbirth, comparing temperatures before fetal death with temperatures on adjacent days. The main outcomes were stillbirth according to age of gestation (term, preterm), and cause of death (undetermined, maternal, placenta/cord/

SUBMITTER: Auger N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5837696 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature