Experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine reported that overheating adversely affects the development of the fetus in the womb. These studies are published in the scientific journal The Lancet Planetary Health.
Heat stress is characterized by a condition where the body cannot get rid of excess heat.
The observations involved 92 Gambian women in position. They worked on the farm up to eight hours every day under the scorching sun. The temperature in the Gambia, according to the study, rose to 45 degrees, but due to increased humidity, the temperature was felt even higher.
Scientists studied the condition of the fetus of pregnant women using an ultrasound machine. Expectant mothers were also tested for symptoms of heat stress, which include nausea, weakness and headaches. It turned out that elevated temperatures lead to an increase in the heart rate of the fetus and a slowdown in blood flow through the umbilical cord.
The researchers found that with each degree above the norm, the load on the fetus increases by 17%.