The Impact of Ambient Heat on Perinatal and Neonatal Health in the Context of Climate Change: A Scoping Review

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Climate change is driving rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves, raising concerns about the impacts of heat on neonates. Neonatal care around temperature control has traditionally focused on hypothermia prevention but is increasingly examining heat-related risks. This scoping review maps perinatal and neonatal health outcomes correlated with heat exposure during prenatal and neonatal periods. RECENT FINDINGS: Across 61 studies published between 2012 and 2025, this review maps heat-health associations beyond preterm birth, identifying consistent links between ambient heat and low birth weight, stillbirth, neonatal mortality, and congenital anomalies. Risks are heightened in socially and geographically vulnerable populations, and potential physiologic mechanisms and causal pathways are discussed. Critical exposure windows are emerging, but not yet conclusively defined. Heat exposure is associated with multiple adverse perinatal and neonatal health outcomes, with risks varying by timing of exposure and population vulnerability. Underlying biological pathways remain poorly understood, requiring primary research to protect perinatal and neonatal health in a rapidly warming world.