THREE QUARTERS OF MATERNAL HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WARN THAT EXTREME HEAT IS ALREADY INCREASING RISKS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND BABIES

Questionnaire development

• New survey finds that 73%^[1] of maternal healthcare professionals report an increase in heat-related cases or complications related to extreme heat affecting pregnant women, while 76% report an increase affecting foetal or newborn health in the past five years
• Nearly all surveyed have cared for a pregnant woman (98%) or baby (99%) whose health they believe was affected by extreme heat
• 92% want more training and resources to protect pregnant women during extreme heat
• At Pre-COP (5-8 October) and ahead of COP31 (9-20 November), Wellcome and global partners are calling for pregnancy and newborn health to be embedded in national climate and health plans

Extreme heat is already placing growing pressure on pregnant women, babies and maternity services, according to a new international survey of 1,000 maternal healthcare professionals, commissioned by Wellcome.

Across Australia, Brazil, India, the UK and Zimbabwe, 73% of those surveyed reported an increase in heat-related cases or complications related to extreme heat affecting pregnant women over the past five years. A similar proportion (76%) reported an increase affecting foetal or newborn health.

Nearly all respondents had personally cared for a pregnant woman (98%) or baby (99%) whose health they believed had been adversely affected by extreme heat.

The findings come after 33 countries recorded their hottest July on record this year, underscoring the growing threat extreme heat poses to health systems and communities worldwide^[2].

Pregnant and postpartum women face particular risks from extreme heat. Research has linked heat exposure with preterm birth, low birth weight, stillbirth and maternal complications. For every 1°C rise in heat exposure, the odds of preterm birth increase by around 5%, while exposure to heatwaves is associated with a 25% higher risk of obstetric complications^[3].

The survey provides a stark picture of how these risks may be playing out in practice:

• Around a quarter of respondents (23%) had seen pregnancy complications requiring additional monitoring or treatment that they believed were linked to extreme heat exposure.
• Healthcare professionals also reported:

- Low birth weight or restricted growth (34%)

- Dehydration and heat-related illness in newborns (36%)

- Difficulties with feeding, breathing and temperature regulation (36%).

Extreme heat is also disrupting access to care. More than a quarter of respondents (27%) said it was making it harder for pregnant women and families to travel to or access care, while 29% reported an increase in urgent or emergency presentations.

Healthcare professionals expect the threat to grow. More than four in five respondents (81%) are concerned that extreme heat will pose a growing risk to maternal, foetal and newborn health over the next five years unless further action is taken. A similar proportion (82%) believe policymakers and health-system leaders should give greater priority to protecting pregnant women and babies from extreme heat.

Julia Gillard, Chair of Wellcome and former Prime Minister of Australia, said:

"Midwives and doctors from countries across five continents are telling us that extreme heatis a8ecting the health of pregnant women and newborn babies. No woman should have tofear that extreme heat will harm the baby she is carrying.“As the planet continues to heat-up because of anthropogenic climate change moremothers and babies will be put at risk. Extreme heat is an invisible killer, but pregnantwomen must not be invisible. Leaders have the evidence and solutions they need – now theymust act.”

Healthcare professionals are calling for greater support. Almost all respondents (92%) want more training and resources to protect pregnant women during extreme heat, while 55% say clearer national or international guidance would help them provide better care.

Solutions do exist. Countries such as Zimbabwe and India are ahead on practical, affordable protections. And in many cases, women who have lived with heat the longest are leading on those solutions.

Ahead of COP31, Wellcome is calling on governments, health-system leaders and international organisations to make pregnant women and their babies visible in climate action. Their needs must be reflected in national plans, clinical guidance and data systems:

1. Pregnant women, new mothers and babies to be included in national climate and health plans, with specific, funded and accountable measures to protect them from extreme heat.
2. The first WHO clinical guidance on heat, pregnancy and the postpartum period, giving healthcare professionals evidence-based guidance and helping health systems prepare for rising temperatures.
3. Stronger data and surveillance, integrating heat exposure into health monitoring and early-warning systems to track its impact on maternal and newborn health.

Wellcome has invested more than £20 million in research around the world to understand the risks of extreme heat during pregnancy and test local and practical solutions to protect women and babies. This includes the HAPI study in Zimbabwe and South Africa, which is evaluating interventions including handheld fans, reflective paint on health-facility roofs and community-led climate information systems. And ultimately, to prevent future and increasingly dangerous global warming, governments must rapidly transition away from fossil fuels.

A new Wellcome campaign and resource hub is available here, brings together scientific evidence, expert perspectives and lived experiences from around the world, alongside solutions being developed to protect women and babies.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About the survey

Wellcome commissioned Censuswide to survey 1,000 healthcare professionals across the UK, Australia, India, Brazil and Zimbabwe. All respondents were involved in pregnancy, childbirth, postnatal or newborn care and maternal care. The survey explored their perceptions of the impact of extreme heat on pregnant women and babies. Fieldwork was conducted online between 17 September and 1 October 2026, with 200 respondents in each country. Eligible respondents included obstetricians, gynaecologists, doctors, midwives, nurses, and other frontline maternal-health workers. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.

For more information on the methodology, please see here.

About Wellcome

Wellcome is a global charitable foundation. We support science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We fund discovery research, drive innovation and work with partners around the world to ensure science can improve health outcomes for people everywhere. Our work focuses on three interconnected global health challenges: climate and health, infectious disease, and mental health.

Learn more at wellcome.org

Additional resources

Wellcome's campaign and resource hub is available here.

Dr Madeleine Thomson, Head of Climate Impacts and Adaptation at Wellcome:

"Extreme heat, fuelled by climate change is impacting our way of life and our health - and yet many countries are not prepared. With El Niño pushing temperatures higher, the failure to act is costing lives.

"We already know many of the solutions to protect people - from early warning systems to cooler buildings. But the challenge is providing solutions to those who need them most, including pregnant women and newborns, who face serious risks but often receive inadequate information and support.

That is why we are calling on governments to act through the Global Call to Action on Heat and Women's Health. The tools launched today will help health services and governments to act before the next heatwave to improve health and save lives."

Interview opportunities

• Dr Madeleine Thomson, Head of Climate Impacts and Adaptation at Wellcome
• Julia Gillard, Chair of Wellcome and former Prime Minister of Australia
• Dr Madeleine Thomson, Head of Climate Impacts and Adaptation
• Arthy Hartwell, Head of Policy for Climate and Health
• Alan Dangour, Director of Climate and Health at Wellcome
• Researchers investigating the biological impacts of heat exposure during pregnancy
• Healthcare professionals working across the survey countries
• Women with lived experience of extreme heat during pregnancy
• Case studies and adaptation projects from India, Zimbabwe, Australia and Pacific Island nations

Media enquiries

For media enquiries, interview requests or further information, please contact:

Wellcome_Pregnancyandheat@freuds.com

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^[1] Wellcome/Censuswide survey of 1,000 healthcare professionals across the UK, Australia, India, Brazil and Zimbabwe, conducted 17 September – 1 October 2026.

^[2] AFP analysis of Copernicus Climate Change Service ERA5 temperature data, published 10 August 2026. Countries publicly identified in reporting include: France, Spain, Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Chad, Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and Brazil.

^[3] Chersich MF, Wright CY, Venter F, et al. "Impacts of extreme heat exposure on maternal, fetal and neonatal health outcomes: a review of epidemiological evidence." Current Environmental Health Reports. 2024. Available at: PubMed record.