Influence of extreme temperature on adverse pregnancy outcomes in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

Temperature extremes have been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes globally. This study investigated the influence of extreme temperature on adverse pregnancy outcomes in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Daily minimum and maximum temperature data of Kaduna State (2015-2023) were downloaded from NASA Power Access. Monthly records of three adverse pregnancy outcomes which include Pre-Term (PT), Low Birth Weight (LBW) and Still Birth (SB) for the period 2015 to 2023 were retrieved from the database of Barau Dikko Specialist Teaching Hospital, Kaduna State. RClimdex was employed to compute four percentile-based extreme temperature indices (TX10p; TX90p; TN10p; and TN90p). Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to examine the association and extent of the relationship between extreme temperature indices and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Results of the correlation analysis revealed that correlation coefficient between TN10p and LBW, PT and SB were 0.237, 0.142 and -0.006, among which only LBW had a significant relationship. The correlation coefficient between TN90p and LBW, PT and SB were -0.190, -0.301, and -0.335, with PT and SB exhibiting significant relationship. The correlation coefficient between TX10p and PT, LBW and SB were 0.491, 0.440 and 0.361 respectively. All the correlation were statistically significant. Lastly, TX90p had moderate negative relationship with PT and SB, but a weak negative significant relationship with LBW, with correlation coefficients of -0.408, -0.449 and -0.397 respectively. From the regression analysis, it can be concluded that both cold and warm temperature extremes significantly influence adverse pregnancy outcomes in the study area. Also, daytime extremes exhibit stronger influence on adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to nighttime extremes. Therefore, this study recommends that pregnant women should be educated on the significance of avoiding extreme temperatures, as well as how to avoid health problems caused by heat or cold.