Study confirms negative health consequences for newborns
- Exposure to wildfires and related air pollution in Spain leads to lower birth weights and higher risks of premature births.
- Negative effects on birth outcomes were consistent across all socioeconomic groups, with no significant differences found.
- Rising temperatures increase wildfire risks in the Mediterranean, making it crucial to protect pregnant women and newborns during such events.
Temperatures climb to new record highs every summer. In many parts of Europe, this marks the start of the most dangerous time of year for wildfires. What begins as a natural disaster, has far-reaching consequences for the health of people in affected areas.
In their latest study, Risto Conte Keivabu of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) and Maria Rubio Cabañez of the Center for Demographic Studies (CED) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona examined the impact of wildfires on birth outcomes in Spain. The researchers analyzed the impact of proximity to wildfires and associated air pollution on health at birth.
To this end, they analyzed data on approximately 3.4 million births in Spain between 2008 and 2021 from the National Institute of Statistics. These data cover about 85 percent of all births in Spain during this period. In their analyses, the researchers paid particular attention to the severity of exposure to wildfires. They compared pregnant women in communities affected by wildfires with those in unaffected communities to investigate the effects of wildfires on birth outcomes.
The results of the study show that exposure to wildfires and the resulting air pollution have a small but consistent negative impact on birth outcomes. Children born to mothers exposed to wildfires or air pollution had lower birth weights and an increased risk of preterm birth. These effects were observed across all segments of the population. No significant differences were found among socioeconomic groups.
“Climate change is increasing the risk of wildfires throughout the Mediterranean region. It is essential to understand the specific risks to mothers and newborns. Wildfire emergency plans should explicitly address the health of this vulnerable group, ensuring that displaced mothers have access to prenatal care and receive early warnings to minimize smoke exposure,” explain Risto Conte Keivabu and Maria Rubio Cabañez.
The researchers also point out that their data include only live births and that excluding stillbirths may lead to an underestimation of the actual impact. “Even though the observed negative effects on birth outcomes are relatively small, they are consistent,” says Conte Keivabu.
