About this Research Topic
There is overwhelming evidence that climate change is currently one of the greatest threats to global health and wellbeing. Growing evidence also demonstrates important connections between climate change deleterious planetary effects, such as air and water pollution and extreme ambient temperatures with reproductive and perinatal health outcomes. For example, maternal exposure to air pollutants (e.g. carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter) have been associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, birth length, and preeclampsia. Novel evidence also suggests negative adverse associations between air pollution and fertility. Literature on pathways from climate change suggest connections with reproductive and perinatal health, with extreme ambient temperatures associated with preterm birth. There are, however, important gaps in knowledge from both the types of exposures (e.g. gaseous pollutants and non-temperature climate change pathways) and the types of reproductive and perinatal outcomes. Further, there are fewer research findings on these topics from low- and middle-income countries. In the face of these global environmental challenges, more evidence is needed to document and assess these relationships and develop evidence-based recommendations and policies.
In this Topic, we aim to grow the literature assessing relationships between the impacts of climate change, such as air pollution, and reproductive and perinatal health outcomes. The goal is three-pronged: 1) solidify the knowledge base on established associations, 2) evaluate novel relationships, and 3) create policy-relevant evidence leveraging established associations or causal evidence.
This Research Topic welcomes novel epidemiology analyzing potential relationships between air pollution, extreme temperatures, flooding and/or storms, or other downstream consequences of climate change with reproductive and perinatal health outcomes. We also welcome health impact assessments that use established relationships to evaluate the impacts of potential mitigation or adaptation policies, specifically for reproductive health outcomes. Reviews that summarize the evidence on these topics in relation to reproductive and perinatal health outcomes will also be considered. Priority will be given to manuscripts that 1) evaluate otherwise undocumented relationships (null results are welcome), 2) identify the policy relevance of their work, and/or 3) produce evidence from low-resource or low-evidence geographies and vulnerable populations (i.e. low- and middle-income countries or historically marginalized populations).
In this Topic, we aim to grow the literature assessing relationships between the impacts of climate change, such as air pollution, and reproductive and perinatal health outcomes. The goal is three-pronged: 1) solidify the knowledge base on established associations, 2) evaluate novel relationships, and 3) create policy-relevant evidence leveraging established associations or causal evidence.
This Research Topic welcomes novel epidemiology analyzing potential relationships between air pollution, extreme temperatures, flooding and/or storms, or other downstream consequences of climate change with reproductive and perinatal health outcomes. We also welcome health impact assessments that use established relationships to evaluate the impacts of potential mitigation or adaptation policies, specifically for reproductive health outcomes. Reviews that summarize the evidence on these topics in relation to reproductive and perinatal health outcomes will also be considered. Priority will be given to manuscripts that 1) evaluate otherwise undocumented relationships (null results are welcome), 2) identify the policy relevance of their work, and/or 3) produce evidence from low-resource or low-evidence geographies and vulnerable populations (i.e. low- and middle-income countries or historically marginalized populations).
Keywords: climate change, air pollution, perinatal health, reproductive health, epidemiology
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
