UN climate chief warns extreme heat is raising pregnancy and newborn risks
publishers 12articles 12first reported 4 Oct, 23:58 UTCdeveloping since 5 Oct · 7 editions
United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell warned Monday that climate-driven extreme heat is increasingly endangering pregnant women and newborns, linking rising temperatures to premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight and maternal complications.
Speaking during climate meetings in Fiji ahead of COP31, Stiell cited a Wellcome-commissioned survey of maternal health professionals across five countries on five continents. CNA reported that the survey covered 1,000 midwives and doctors in the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Brazil and Zimbabwe. The Punch reported that the survey found that 73% of health professionals had seen heat-related cases or complications increase during the past five years. Nearly all respondents said they had cared for a pregnant woman or baby whose health they believed had been affected by extreme heat.
About one-third reported cases including low birth weight or restricted growth, feeding difficulties, dehydration and heat-related illness that they attributed to extreme heat. The Punch reported that 81% said they were concerned or very concerned that the risks to maternal, fetal and newborn health would grow without further action.
Stiell called for maternal and newborn health to be incorporated into climate adaptation and heat-health planning, arguing that advice to stay cool is inadequate for people working outdoors, living in poorly regulated housing or relying on clinics without dependable water, electricity or cooling.
The meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu precede next month’s U.N.-sponsored COP31 climate summit in Türkiye. Pacific leaders are using the talks to press for climate finance and continued efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 3 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 3 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 13 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
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- Source articles
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- Given to the writer
- 3, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 3
- This version written
- 13 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
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- Human review
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WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: The story is broadly supported but needs attribution tightened for precise survey details and who reported them. - "Stiell cited a Wellcome-commissioned survey of 1,000 midwives and doctors in the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Brazil and Zimbabwe.": The sources say Stiell cited a survey across five continents, and CNA separately identifies the countries; they do not say Stiell identified those countries. - "The survey found that 73% of health professionals had seen heat-related cases or complications increase during the past five years.": The available sources support 73% from The Punch, but Japan Times and CNA say more than two-thirds; this precise figure needs attribution to the source that says it. - "Eighty-one percent said they were concerned or very concerned that the risks to maternal, fetal and newborn health would grow without further action.": The available sources support 81% from The Punch only, so the precise figure needs attribution to that source.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
UN climate chief warns extreme heat is raising pregnancy and newborn risks
United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell warned Monday that climate-driven extreme heat is increasingly endangering pregnant women and newborns, linking rising temperatures to premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight and maternal complications.
Speaking during climate meetings in Fiji ahead of COP31, Stiell cited a Wellcome-commissioned survey of maternal health professionals across five countries on five continents. CNA reported that the survey covered 1,000 midwives and doctors in the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Brazil and Zimbabwe. The Punch reported that the survey found that 73% of health professionals had seen heat-related cases or complications increase during the past five years. Nearly all respondents said they had cared for a pregnant woman or baby whose health they believed had been affected by extreme heat.
About one-third reported cases including low birth weight or restricted growth, feeding difficulties, dehydration and heat-related illness that they attributed to extreme heat. Eighty-oneThe percentPunch reported that 81% said they were concerned or very concerned that the risks to maternal, fetal and newborn health would grow without further action.
Stiell called for maternal and newborn health to be incorporated into climate adaptation and heat-health planning, arguing that advice to stay cool is inadequate for people working outdoors, living in poorly regulated housing or relying on clinics without dependable water, electricity or cooling.
The meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu precede next month’s U.N.-sponsored COP31 climate summit in Türkiye. Pacific leaders are using the talks to press for climate finance and continued efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →