Study links rising temperatures to spike in stillbirths across Africa
Health & Science
By
Caroline Chebet
| Oct 20, 2025
Babies whose mothers were exposed to extreme heat in the week before childbirth faced a 34 per cent higher risk of stillbirth or neonatal death within 24 hours of delivery, a new study has revealed.
The research published in Nature Medicine, found a strong link between high temperatures in the final week of pregnancy and an increased risk of perinatal death across sub-Saharan Africa.
Conducted between July 2021 and December 2023 in four sub-Saharan countries, the study shows that extreme heat contributes to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight and stillbirth.
“Heat stress on mothers can disrupt foetal development and increase complications during labour. Additionally, heatwaves can indirectly affect perinatal health by overwhelming healthcare systems, leading to delays in care and reduced access to essential services,” the report stated.
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The report further noted that Sub-Saharan Africa continues to record the world’s highest neonatal mortality, with 27 deaths per 1,000 live births as of 2022.
However, risk of perinatal death was found to be even higher during the six hottest months of the year with stillbirths were directly linked to heat exposure.
“Stronger associations were observed for stillbirths and perinatal mortality during the six hottest months, supporting these results,” the researchers said, adding that 44% of stillbirths occurred during labour.
The study analysed 138,015 hospital-based singleton births across four sub-Saharan African countries to examine the link between heat exposure in the week before delivery and perinatal mortality.
Researchers noted that increased vulnerability to heat during the third trimester, particularly in the final week of pregnancy, motivated them to focus their analysis on that critical period.
“The observations were collected from diverse settings, private and public facilities, as well as community, district, and referral hospitals, across four countries in two different regions of sub-Saharan Africa with varying backgrounds,” the researchers explained.
“We used a prospective design to analyse the associations between extreme heat exposure and stillbirth and very early neonatal mortality.”However, the study covered only 30–40 per cent of hospital births, meaning its findings may not represent all births in the region.
“Poorer women in remote or rural areas, who are often more vulnerable to heat stress, were under-represented in the sample,” the report acknowledged. It added that the findings highlight an urgent need for interventions to protect pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa from the dangers of rising temperatures, as climate change intensifies extreme weather patterns.
Beyond emphasizing better protection for expectant and labouring women, the researchers called for early warning systems and health promotion initiatives to help women prepare for and respond to extreme heat.
They also recommended redesigning clinics and maternity wards to minimise heat exposure through improved building designs, including better ventilation, roof insulation, and the creation of green spaces around health facilities.