Tuesday 28 June 2022 06:42 PM Pregnant women are 44% more likely to suffer a miscarriage if they conceive ... trends now
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Pregnant women are more likely to suffer the heartbreak of a miscarriage during the summer, a study suggests.
Researchers behind the eight-year project tracked the pregnancies of 6,000 women in the US.
Miscarriage rates peaked in June, July and August — the traditional summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, analysis showed.
The highest seasonal difference was logged in August, when miscarriage rates were 44 higher than in February.
The trend was strongest for miscarriages that occurred before eight weeks, when a foetus is still the size of a raspberry.
Experts believe extreme heat or lifestyle factors during warmer weather could be to blame — but they said further research is needed.
Researchers behind the eight-year project tracked the pregnancies of 6,000 women in the US. Miscarriage rates peaked in June, July and August — the traditional summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, analysis showed
Dr Amelia Wesselink, study author from Boston University, said: 'Any time you see seasonal variation in an outcome, it can give you hints about causes of that outcome.
'We found miscarriage risk, particularly risk of "early" miscarriage before eight weeks of gestation, was highest in the summer.'
She added: 'Heat is associated with higher risk of other pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm delivery, low birth weight, and stillbirth, in particular.
'Medical guidance and public health messaging — including heat action plans and climate adaptation policies
