Harnessing the diverse Australian climate and population for global answers
Extreme Heat and Pregnancy Complications (EHPC) is a transdisciplinary collaboration researching the impacts of heat on pregnancy, funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Extreme heat exposure during pregnancy has been linked to various complications, including preterm birth, stillbirth, small babies, miscarriage, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. EHPC aims to utilise Australia’s diverse climate conditions to examine in detail what pregnant people experience during extreme heat and how this heat exposure might contribute to these adverse health outcomes.
EHPC brings together people’s lived experiences and knowledge, Australia-wide health data representing a wide range of climates, and the clinicians and scientists conducting physiology and microbiome research. All of this work is guided by community members and other stakeholders, to shape our research objectives.
Our objective is to strengthen our ability to prepare for, prevent, and respond to the impacts of extreme heat on pregnancy.
Our Approach
Aboriginal Steering Group
Communities of Practice
Aim 1: Lived Experience
- How do pregnant people control their temperature during heat waves?
- What are their pregnancy health concerns?
- What do they need to help with temperature regulation?
Aim 2: Environmental Epidemiology
- What climate zones and people are most at risk?
- What definition of heat exposure best predicts pregnancy complications?
Aim 3: Biological Factors
- What are the effects of heat exposure on maternal and fetal health and physiology in late pregnancy?
- Does heat exposure in mid-pregnancy disrupt vaginal bacteria, resulting in increased preterm birth risk?
Deliverables
Prevent heat-health impact in pregnancy at an individual, clinical and public health level
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first custodians of the land, seas and waterways of Australia. We respect and honour Elders past and present and commit to building a sustainable future together.
