Extreme heat and pregnancy complications: harnessing the diverse Australian climate and population for global answers

Pregnant women in Australia are exposed to extreme heat across the country’s diverse climate zones, and researchers will track how this affects pregnancy outcomes in Indigenous, migrant, and general populations. This matters because heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense, yet little is known about how extreme heat specifically harms pregnancy—especially for women in different climates and cultural contexts. The project combines three approaches: listening to women’s lived experiences (including Indigenous and recent migrant knowledge), analysing health records across Australian climate zones, and studying biological mechanisms using a sheep pregnancy model and human samples in controlled environments. If successful, the research will produce practical tools: health education materials for pregnant women and healthcare workers, clinical guidelines for managing pregnant patients during heat events, and public health policies for preparedness and secondary prevention. These outputs could reduce heat-related pregnancy complications—such as preterm birth or low birth weight—and the findings are designed to be extrapolated globally, helping protect pregnant women in other hot regions. The work is applied, with direct implications for clinical practice and public health systems.