About this Research Topic
The climate emergency is affecting climatic conditions, and countries are impacted in different ways and to varying degrees. The effects of some related environmental factors, such as ambient and indoor (or household) air pollution, tobacco smoke, etc., on the health of the mother-infant dyad, have been researched quite extensively, while others, such as heat, are increasingly being investigated. The effects of factors such as rainfall, flooding, and drought are yet to gain that impetus. Existing evidence is dominated by high-income countries and for understandable reasons (availability of resources, high-quality data, etc.). Evidence from low- and middle-income countries is now urgently needed because these countries are likely affected in more ways than currently understood. Additionally, effective mitigation or adaptation strategies developed using evidence from high-income settings may not be relevant in other settings, as is evidenced by numerous intervention strategies to improve maternal and infant health.
This Research Topic aims to bring together a comprehensive set of reviews and original research articles that pertain to any maternal, perinatal, and infant health topics in relation to aspects of climate change. Maternal health refers to the health of individuals during the pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum periods. Perinatal and infant health refer to any health conditions of the fetus or the newborn during the perinatal period (from the 28th week of gestation up to the 1st week after delivery) or infancy (from birth up to 1 year of age). The articles should focus on individual or joint effect(s) in relation to one or more environmental factors affected by climate change, grounded in strong methodology, regardless of statistical significance. Studies in low-resource settings are particularly encouraged.
1. Original research articles investigating climate change and related risk factors in the above-mentioned areas. Articles may be based on primary data as well as modeling studies, including projections.
2. Studies of the effects of climate change mitigation and/or adaptation measures on maternal, perinatal, and infant health are in scope. Evaluation of interventions to protect maternal or infant health will be considered valuable and timely.
3. Studies that will advance knowledge of plausible biological mechanisms are strongly encouraged.
4. Evidence from East Asia, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America is a critical research gap.
5. High-quality review articles that critically and comprehensively assess original research will be considered. The reviews should particularly focus on the assessing quality of evidence, potential for bias in the original studies.
This Research Topic aims to bring together a comprehensive set of reviews and original research articles that pertain to any maternal, perinatal, and infant health topics in relation to aspects of climate change. Maternal health refers to the health of individuals during the pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum periods. Perinatal and infant health refer to any health conditions of the fetus or the newborn during the perinatal period (from the 28th week of gestation up to the 1st week after delivery) or infancy (from birth up to 1 year of age). The articles should focus on individual or joint effect(s) in relation to one or more environmental factors affected by climate change, grounded in strong methodology, regardless of statistical significance. Studies in low-resource settings are particularly encouraged.
1. Original research articles investigating climate change and related risk factors in the above-mentioned areas. Articles may be based on primary data as well as modeling studies, including projections.
2. Studies of the effects of climate change mitigation and/or adaptation measures on maternal, perinatal, and infant health are in scope. Evaluation of interventions to protect maternal or infant health will be considered valuable and timely.
3. Studies that will advance knowledge of plausible biological mechanisms are strongly encouraged.
4. Evidence from East Asia, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America is a critical research gap.
5. High-quality review articles that critically and comprehensively assess original research will be considered. The reviews should particularly focus on the assessing quality of evidence, potential for bias in the original studies.
Keywords: Global warming, Environment, heat, rainfall, drought, flood, health, LMIC
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.
