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The influence of seasonality and weather changes on premature birth incidence.

ABSTRACT: Although the effects of meteorological factors on the general population health are widely documented, little is known about their influence on human pregnancy and birth. The present study aims at analyzing the influence of the atmospheric conditions on premature births.One hundred and eight nine cases of premature births were included in the study, with a gestational age between 24 to 37 weeks of amenorrhea. Cases with antepartum fetal death and those with uncertain gestational age have been excluded. Daily weather data were obtained using http://www.wunderground.com site. A Pearson's product-moment correlation was run to assess the relationship between weekly preterm birth incidence and the total number of premature births and the mean maximum and minimum temperature (Tmax, Tmin), maximum and minimum average humidity (Umax, Umin), maximum and minimum atmospheric pressure mean (P max, P min), average wind speed and average quantity precipitations, calculated for one calendar week.Approximately 7.7% of all births during the study period occurred before 37 weeks of gestation, the main reason for hospitalization being premature rupture of membranes (45%). The analysis revealed a moderate positive correlation between weekly preterm birth incidence and the average temperature (r=0.306, n=52, p=0.027) and a moderate positive correlation between weekly preterm birth incidence and temperature variation (r=0.307, n=52, p=0.007). Our study found no significant statistic correlation between the humidity variation, pressure variation, and wind speed.The incidence of premature births can be influenced by variations of specific weather factors, especially during the weeks characterized by large fluctuations in temperature. The results obtained might inspire the construction of multicenter studies to investigate more thoroughly the adverse effects of some meteorological factors that can influence the outcomes of human pregnancy.

SUBMITTER: Muresan D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5536206 | biostudies-other | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:BackgroundThe survival of coronaviruses are influenced by weather conditions and seasonal coronaviruses are more common in winter months. We examine the seasonality of respiratory infections in England and Wales and the associations between weather parameters and seasonal coronavirus cases.MethodsRespiratory virus disease data for England and Wales between 1989 and 2019 was extracted from the Second-Generation Surveillance System (SGSS) database used for routine surveillance. Seasonal coronaviruses from 2012 to 2019 were compared to daily average weather parameters for the period before the patient's specimen date with a range of lag periods.ResultsThe seasonal distribution of 985,524 viral infections in England and Wales (1989-2019) showed coronavirus infections had a similar seasonal distribution to influenza A and bocavirus, with a winter peak between weeks 2 to 8. Ninety percent of infections occurred where the daily mean ambient temperatures were below 10 °C; where daily average global radiation exceeded 500 kJ/m2/h; where sunshine was less than 5 h per day; or where relative humidity was above 80%. Coronavirus infections were significantly more common where daily average global radiation was under 300 kJ/m2/h (OR 4.3; CI 3.9-4.6; p < 0.001); where average relative humidity was over 84% (OR 1.9; CI 3.9-4.6; p < 0.001); where average air temperature was below 10 °C (OR 6.7; CI 6.1-7.3; p < 0.001) or where sunshine was below 4 h (OR 2.4; CI 2.2-2.6; p < 0.001) when compared to the distribution of weather values for the same time period. Seasonal coronavirus infections in children under 3 years old were more frequent at the start of an annual epidemic than at the end, suggesting that the size of the susceptible child population may be important in the annual cycle.ConclusionsThe dynamics of seasonal coronaviruses reflect immunological, weather, social and travel drivers of infection. Evidence from studies on different coronaviruses suggest that low temperature and low radiation/sunlight favour survival. This implies a seasonal increase in SARS-CoV-2 may occur in the UK and countries with a similar climate as a result of an increase in the R0 associated with reduced temperatures and solar radiation. Increased measures to reduce transmission will need to be introduced in winter months for COVID-19.

Project description:Fire seasonality, an important characteristic of fire regimes, commonly is delineated using seasons based on single weather variables (rainfall or temperature). We used nonparametric cluster analyses of a 17-year (1993-2009) data set of weather variables that influence likelihoods and spread of fires (relative humidity, air temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, soil moisture) to explore seasonality of fire in pine savanna-grassland landscapes at the Avon Park Air Force Range in southern Florida. A four-variable, three-season model explained more variation within fire weather variables than models with more seasons. The three-season model also delineated intra-annual timing of fire more accurately than a conventional rainfall-based two-season model. Two seasons coincided roughly with dry and wet seasons based on rainfall. The third season, which we labeled the fire season, occurred between dry and wet seasons and was characterized by fire-promoting conditions present annually: drought, intense solar radiation, low humidity, and warm air temperatures. Fine fuels consisting of variable combinations of pyrogenic pine needles, abundant C4 grasses, and flammable shrubs, coupled with low soil moisture, and lightning ignitions early in the fire season facilitate natural landscape-scale wildfires that burn uplands and across wetlands. We related our three season model to fires with different ignition sources (lightning, military missions, and prescribed fires) over a 13-year period with fire records (1997-2009). Largest wildfires originate from lightning and military ignitions that occur within the early fire season substantially prior to the peak of lightning strikes in the wet season. Prescribed ignitions, in contrast, largely occur outside the fire season. Our delineation of a pronounced fire season provides insight into the extent to which different human-derived fire regimes mimic lightning fire regimes. Delineation of a fire season associated with timing of natural lightning ignitions should be useful as a basis for ecological fire management of humid savanna-grassland landscapes worldwide.

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The influence of seasonality and weather changes on premature birth incidence.

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