Home News Risk of Early Miscarriage Higher in Summer, Study Shows by Kristina JohnsonJuly 6, 2022 iStock Search more like this high quality Advertisement Trending Now News Disney+’s Prices Are Increasing—Unless You Want to Watch Ads Food & Drink General Mills Is Bringing Back 4 Classic Sugar Cereals That Your Mom Never Let You Eat Viral & Trending Cat Sneaks into Family Car & Joins Their Road Trip, Becomes Instant Celebrity Viral & Trending Weatherman Discovers His Map Is a Touchscreen and His Reaction Is So Pure Celeb & Entertainment Serena Williams Announces Retirement: ‘If I Were a Guy, I Wouldn’t Be Writing This’ Advertisement The heartbreak of a miscarriage is often compounded by the pain of not knowing—not knowing what caused it, why it happened, or whether anything could have been done to prevent it. For so many heartbroken expectant parents, those questions are never answered. But a new study could help change that by shedding some light on an unexpected potential risk factor for miscarriages.A team of researchers published a study in the journal Epidemiology that looks into spontaneous pregnancy losses. The study followed more than 12,000 women between 2013 and 2020, nearly half of whom became pregnant within the first year of their participation. Sadly, nearly a quarter of them would go on to have miscarriages. In the first eight weeks of gestation, miscarriage was more than 40 percent more likely to happen in the summer and specifically in late August. That led researchers to conclude that “environmental or lifestyle factors more prevalent in late summer” were playing a big role. Pregnant people in the south and midwestern U.S. were especially affected, so it’s very possible that summer heat was one of those factors.The study’s lead author, Dr. Amelia Wesselink, also noted that heat has other potential side effects on pregnancy as well. “We know that heat is associated with higher risk of other pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm delivery, low birth weight, and stillbirth, in particular,” she noted. “Medical guidance and public health messaging—including heat action plans and climate adaptation policies—need to consider the potential effects of heat on the health of pregnant people and their babies.”In general, doctors do recommend that pregnant people avoid summer heat as much as possible. Anything that raises your body temperature will also raise your unborn baby’s temperature, so things like staying inside during the hottest part of the day, drinking at least eight glasses of water daily (or whatever you can manage), and dressing in light, cool clothing when you do need to head out are important.It may not always be possible to prevent the worst-case scenario—but taking proper precautions can give parents and babies the best chance of a happy, healthy pregnancy. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Copy (Opens in new window) Search more like this high quality Welcome to our Tinybeans family! Be sure to check your email for new activities, recipes and parenting hacks – and to see if you’ve won! Do you have a dog or cat? Select YES below and click submit to start receiving FREE pet ideas and inspiration, news about new pet products, exclusive offers and limited-time promotions. Yes, I have a pet! Submit GET READY FOR SUMMER! Enter to Win a $250 Gift Card! Enter your email and zip code below for a chance to win a Mastercard Gift Card. We’ll pick one winner per month through August 31, 2022 – 5 lucky winners in all! email zip_code campaign_name Enter Now! I agree to the official rules and to receive email communications from Tinybeans. By providing my email address, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience possible. Accepting the use of cookies enables important site functionality including personalization and analytics. Accept Decline Create an account to save this content on Tinybeans Choose how you would like to sign up. Continue with Apple Continue with Facebook Continue with Google or Continue with Email By signing up, you agree to Tinybeans Terms of Service and acknowledge you have read and agreed to our Privacy Policy. Sign in to your Tinybeans account Don’t have any account? Create an account here. Forgot your password? Reset it here. Sign In or Continue with Apple Continue with Facebook Continue with Google Personalized recommendations Tinybeans uses personal information to share useful recommendations and ideas for your family. This may include your previous activity, family profile and your hometown. Tinybeans keeps your data safe and does not sell personal information to any third party. Learn more about your privacy and location choices. Close
Celeb & Entertainment Serena Williams Announces Retirement: ‘If I Were a Guy, I Wouldn’t Be Writing This’