ArticleInternational journal of epidemiology2023
Ambient temperature during pregnancy and fetal growth in Eastern Massachusetts, USA.
Article in International journal of epidemiology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Gestational misalignment with fixed exposure windows: the potential dangers of zero-filling in distributed lag models.International journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- The Impact of Ambient Heat on Perinatal and Neonatal Health in the Context of Climate Change: A Scoping Review.Current environmental health reports · 2026Article
- Associations of ambient temperature exposure with embryonic and early fetal development.International journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Prevalence of major structural congenital abnormalities detected on infant surface examination in Botswana, 2014-2022: a birth outcomes surveillance study.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- Air Pollution Exposure and Birth Weight in the ECHO Cohort.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- Lethal Heat and Humidity Events.Annual review of environment and resources · 2025Article
- Associations of climatic factors with pregnancy loss in Nicosia, Cyprus.Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · 2025Article
- Heat, health, and habitats: analyzing the intersecting risks of climate and demographic shifts in Austrian districts.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Early Pregnancy in Times of Climate Change: First-Trimester Heat Exposure Is Associated With Reduction in Fetal Crown-Rump Length in the 12th/13th Week of Gestation-A Retrospective Study From Vienna, Austria.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2025Article
- Association between embryo transfer season and the risks of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2025Article
- Exposure to acute ambient temperature extremes and neonatal intensive care unit admissions: A case-crossover study.The Science of the total environment · 2024Article
- Heat exposure induced risks of preterm birth mediated by maternal hypertension.Nature medicine · 2024Article
- Using Parametric g-Computation for Time-to-Event Data and Distributed Lag Models to Identify Critical Exposure Windows for Preterm Birth: An Illustrative Example UsingEnvironmental health perspectives · 2024Article
- Invited Perspective: Climate Change and Reproductive Health-the Perils of Oversimplification.Environmental health perspectives · 2023Article
- Critical Windows of Maternal Exposure to Biothermal Stress and Birth Weight for Gestational Age in Western Australia.Environmental health perspectives · 2023Article
- Ambient climatic factors and term birthweight: A study of critical windows of exposure in the Republic of Cyprus.Environmental research · 2023Article
- Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Ultrasound Parameters of Fetal Growth in Eastern Massachusetts.American journal of epidemiology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundLeft unabated, rising temperatures pose an escalating threat to human health. The potential effects of hot temperatures on fetal health have been under-explored. Here, we examined the association between prenatal ambient temperature exposure and fetal growth measures in a Massachusetts-based pregnancy cohort.
methodsWe used ultrasound measurements of biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), femur length and abdominal circumference (AC), in addition to birthweight (BW), from 9446 births at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center from 2011 to 2016. Ultrasound scans were classified into three distinct gestational periods: 16-23 weeks, 24-31 weeks, 32+ weeks; and z-scores were created for each fetal growth measure using the INTERGROWTH-21st standards. We fitted distributed lag models to estimate the time-varying association between weekly temperature and fetal growth, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, seasonal and long-term trends, humidity and particulate matter (PM2.5).
resultsHigher ambient temperature was associated with smaller fetal growth measures. The critical window of exposure appeared to be Weeks 1-20 for ultrasound parameters, and high temperatures throughout pregnancy were important for BW. Associations were strongest for head parameters (BPD and HC) in early to mid-pregnancy, AC late in pregnancy and BW. For example, a 5ºC higher cumulative temperature exposure was associated with a lower mean AC z-score of -0.26 (95% CI: -0.48, -0.04) among 24-31-Week scans, and a lower mean BW z-score of -0.32 (95% CI: -0.51, -0.12).
conclusionHigher temperatures were associated with impaired fetal growth. This has major health implications given that extreme temperatures are more common and escalating.
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