The effects of heat on childbirth and neonatal care within non-temperature controlled environments have only been minimally researched. Given the high vulnerability of pregnant women and newborn babies to increased heat, it is important that this is rectified before the effects of climate change become any worse. This study, conducted at the at the SCL General Hospital, which serves a primarily low income population in Ahmedabad, India, examines a three month period (April - June) over three consecutive years (2009-2011), to isolate the impact on health of the heat wave in May 2010. The study was conducted through a close analysis of admission and diagnostic data from the hospital, which included in-house births and transfers to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), as well as heat-related admissions of neonates (0-28 day old infants) born outside of the hospital. Also collected was data from the India Meteorological Department, including daily maximum and minimum temperatures, and humidity readings.
Two variables were studied: temperature, and the location of the maternity ward within the hospital. During 2009 and 2010, including during the heatwave, the maternity ward was on the uppermost floor of the hospital and was regarded as one of the hottest places in the building. For the three months studied in 2011, the maternity ward had been moved to the lowest, coolest floor as an adaptive measure to combat the risks that became apparent during the 2010 heatwave.
The study found that the number of admissions to the NICU increased dramatically during 2010, with 24 admissions compared to 8 in 2009, and 4 in 2011. Both the effect of heat and the location of the maternity ward were found to be statistically significant, though it remains unclear whether the driver behind the health impacts came from heat during later pregnancy (shown to increase the likelihood of early birth by up to five days) or due to post-natal complications. It was found that moving the maternity ward to the lower floor had a significant protective effect, signifying the importance of institutional surveillance and the potential for single adaptive responses to climate change to have significant positive effects.