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Miscarriages due to climate crisis a 'blind spot' in action plans - reportNaturally, only babies that die from heat stress are politically marketable, the UN doesn't care about the ones that die from the cold:The report follows an ultimatum from the UN secretary general, António Guterres, on the climate emergency: "We're playing with fire, but there can be no more playing for time. We're out of time." He said global heating was supercharging monster hurricanes, bringing biblical floods and turning forests into tinderboxes, and said governments had to rapidly wean the world off its fossil fuel addiction.
Increasing climate extremes are causing more lost babies, premature births and cognitive damage to newborns, the report said. For example, a study in India found a doubled risk of miscarriage in pregnant women suffering heat stress, while another in California found a significant association between long-term heat exposure and stillbirth and premature birth.Awkwardly, cold temperatures also cause stillbirths and miscarriages (Ruan et al) so if man-made climate change is warming the world, it must be saving babies too. Shh!
Comment: Related: South Island roads remain closed after spring snow, heavy rain in New Zealand