Maternal and new-born health risks of climate change: a call for awareness and global action

Pregnant women and new-borns are increasingly being recognised as vulnerable populations in the context of climate change. The effects can be direct or indirect through heat stress, extreme weather events and air pollution, potentially impacting both the immediate and long-term health of pregnant women and new-borns through a broad range of mechanisms. This paper reviews these risks and calls climate adaptation plans to integrate these specific risks for vulnerable populations.