More than one woman in 10 has a miscarriage in France. A spontaneous termination of pregnancy which is most likely to occur during the summer when the heat is strong, according to a recently published American study.
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Miscarriage affects a considerable number of women, it is estimated that 15% of pregnancies end spontaneously during the first five months. The traumatic event for the parents usually has no clearly identifiable origin. An isolated miscarriage has no effect on subsequent pregnancies, which often go smoothly, but in a minority of women, miscarriages can reoccur. They are considered chronic when three miscarriages before 14 weeks of pregnancy follow each other. Researchers from the Boston University School Of Public Health showed that summer was season most prone to miscarriages.
Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to heat waves and must follow preventive measures carefully. © MarianVejcik, Istock.com
Summer, a risky season for pregnant women
Indeed, using NIH data (National Institutes of Health) on spontaneous terminations of pregnancy, they calculated that during the month of August, the risk of having a premature miscarriage (before the 14e week of amenorrhea) increases by 44% – and 31% when we consider all the weeks of pregnancy – compared to the month of February. ” We found that the risk of miscarriage, particularly the risk of early miscarriage before eight weeks of gestation, was highest in summer. Now we need to dig deeper into this to understand which types of exposures are most prevalent in the summer, and which of these exposures might account for the increased risk of miscarriage. “, explains Dr. Amelia Wesselink, expert in epidemiology.
One of the hypotheses favored by researchers is that prolonged exposure to heat intense is at the origin of this increased risk. ” Few studies have examined the association between heat and miscarriage risk, so this is definitely a topic that requires further exploration. adds Dr. Wesselink. No clearly established link at present, but temperatures have already been associated with an increased risk of premature birth, low birth weight of the baby and stillbirth. In France, pregnant women and children are considered to be particularly at risk during heat waves. The prevention actions should therefore be carefully monitored.
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