Understanding Extreme Heat Effects on Maternal, Fetal, and Newborn Health
Investigators:
The Principal Investigator for this project is Dr. Jai Das, Assistant Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development at Aga Khan University. Dr. Zainab Samad, a Professor & Chair in the Department of Medicine at Aga Khan University, and Dr. Lumaan Sheikh, Associate Professor & Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Aga Khan University, join as Co-Principal Investigators alongside Dr. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Distinguished University Professor & Founding Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development.
Project Aims:
This Wellcome Trust-funded initiative investigates the biological vulnerability and effects of extreme heat exposure on maternal, fetal, and newborn health. By analyzing existing clinical data and conducting a prospective cohort study, the project seeks to unravel the complex pathways linking extreme heat to adverse health outcomes.
Objectives:
- Understand the biological effects of heat exposure on pregnancy and birth outcomes.
- Evaluate direct and indirect biological pathways impacted by heat stress during pregnancy, considering factors such as gestational age.
- Examine the combined effects of heat events, demographics, work during pregnancy, household air pollution, and undernutrition on maternal/fetal/newborn health.
Planned Activities:
- Analysis of Existing Data and Biological Repositories: Utilize consortium expertise, datasets, and laboratory specimens to establish linked cohorts, exploring the relationship between heat exposure and pregnancy complications, including stillbirths, preterm births, and perinatal mortality.
- Prospective Two-Centre Cohort Study: Conduct a population-based birth cohort study, studying environmental heat measurements, physiological changes during pregnancy, fetal growth, and birth outcomes, with a focus on rural and peri-urban populations in Pakistan.
Supported By/Associated Grant:
This project is supported by the funding from Wellcome Trust.
Status:
Active ![](/ighd/research-programmes/PublishingImages/Active%20Bar.png)
More About the Project/Related Content:
(News articles, Publications, Research Papers, videos, images)
News
![News Image 1](/ighd/PublishingImages/Roundtable%20-%2021%20Dec.png)
Experts discuss the impact of health and climate change in Pakistan
![News Image 2](/ighd/PublishingImages/climate-change.jpg)
Challenges of climate change, health, and nutrition in Pakistan
![News Image 3](/news/PublishingImages/IGHDConf%2016Dec2022.png)
Experts raise the alarm on growing water insecurity in Pakistan
Publications
![PDF Thumbnail 1](/ighd/research-programmes/PublishingImages/BMJ%20Global%20Health%20Logo.png)
Global strategies and local implementation of health and health-related SDGs: lessons from consultation in countries across five regions |
![PDF Thumbnail 2](/ighd/research-programmes/PublishingImages/BMJ%20Global%20Health%20Logo.png)
What will it take to implement health and health-related sustainable development goals? |
Events
![Event Image 1](/events/PublishingImages/New-Infant.jpg?RenditionID=11)
Climate Change and Health: Impact of Extreme Heat on Women and Children & Possible Solutions
![Event Image 2](/ighd/resources/PublishingImages/Climate_Change_and_Water.png?RenditionID=11)
Climate Change and Water-related Challenges in Pakistan: Tangible Solutions
![Event Image 3](/events/PublishingImages/RegisterSDSNPK4.jpg?RenditionID=11)
Pakistan’s Challenges of Climate Change, Health, and Nutrition