Association of Summer Heat Waves and the Probability of Preterm Birth in Minnesota: An Exploration of the Intersection of Race and Education.

ABSTRACT: Preterm birth (PTB) is common and has negative impacts on infant health. While some maternal risk factors have been identified, including age under 20 or over 40, substance abuse, low BMI, and racism, less is known about the impact of environmental exposures like high heat. We combined 154,157 records of live births occurring in Minnesota between 2009 and 2015 with hourly weather records collected from the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. We tested if maternal heat wave exposure (a seven-day period with a mean daily high temp of 37 °C) immediately prior to birth leads to a higher risk of preterm birth. Additional covariates included maternal age, race/ethnicity, educational status, and residence in the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Pregnant women exposed to a seven-day heat wa

SUBMITTER: Smith ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7503599 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature