The Impact of Climate Change on Pregnant Women’s Health: A Scoping Review of Reviews

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Records through early 2026 mark 2025 as the warmest year in over 170 years. Pregnant women are among the populations most vulnerable to climate change. The objective of this study was to conduct a review that synthesizes existing knowledge on how the different dimensions of climate change are affecting the vulnerable population of pregnant women. Methods: A scoping review of reviews (PROSPERO: CRD420261400815) was conducted in the Health Sciences databases: PubMed, SCOPUS, PsycInfo, CINAHL and WOS, with no time or language restriction until February 2026. A qualitative synthesis was carried out on data extracted from the different reviews, and a frequency mapping of reported maternal and perinatal outcomes was performed. The methodological quality of the individual reviews included in this review was evaluated using the CASPe tool. Results: Air pollution primarily links to developmental issues and gestational hypertension (four reviews), while extreme heat was most frequently reported in relation to preterm birth (eight reviews). Natural disasters mostly compromise maternal mental health (five reviews), vector-borne diseases were most frequently associated with perinatal complications like low birth weight and preterm delivery (three reviews), and chemical exposure is chiefly associated with gestational diabetes (two reviews). Conclusions: Given all the maternal and perinatal outcomes reported in relation to climate change, healthcare professionals play a key role in advising pregnant women on their actual and perceived knowledge, risk perception, affective evaluation, self-efficacy, intention to adopt protective behaviors, and subsequent information-seeking behavior.