SynthesisNature communications2026
A systematic review and meta-analysis on heat thresholds for maternal health and birth outcomes.
Synthesis in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis on heat thresholds for maternal health and birth outcomes.Nature communications · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Global warming poses major public health challenges, with pregnant individuals particularly vulnerable to heat. We aim to synthesise evidence on the effects of ambient heat on pregnancy and birth outcomes and identify heat thresholds associated with increased risk of these adverse outcomes. We searched Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, GreenFile and Cinahl (June 2024) for peer-reviewed studies reporting thresholds for ambient heat; heat from medical devices, saunas, pools or studies on conception, IVF, postnatal health were excluded. Participants within studies are limited to individuals capable of becoming pregnant, including women and those identifying differently. Risk of bias is assessed using the Office of Health Assessment and Translation tool. Findings are narratively synthesised according to outcome and exposure metric, and a random effects meta-regression is used to estimate heat thresholds for acute heat effects on adverse outcomes. Evidence is limited by heterogeneity and methodological variability among studies included, and through review process limitations, including no independent dual data extraction and single person performing quality assessment. Meta-analyses determine Tmax thresholds 30.55 °C, 34.11 °C and 39.07 °C for 5%, 10% and 20% risk increase (21 studies, sample=5,589,862), suggesting increasing risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes with increasing heat. The narrative syntheses (103 studies, sample=41,951,950) identifies heterogeneous indicators and a lack of comprehensive heat stress indices. Funding was received through the European Union's Horizon Framework Programme and UKRI Innovate. PROSPERO registration: CRD42024610438.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.