Vis sammendrag
Community Perspectives on Maternal and Newborn Experiences of Heat Stress: A qualitative Inquiry in Kilifi, Kenya
Adelaide Lusambili, Peter Khaemba, Sophie Chabeda, Fiona Scorgie, Britt Nakstad, Kadiatou Kadio, Matthew Chersich, Sari Kovats, Nathalie Roos, Veronique Filippi , Stanley Luchters
Objective: High temperatures have direct physiological and clinical effects on pregnant women and neonates, yet there is a dearth of research examining experiential dimensions of heat stress and its impacts on daily life. We examine how heat stress is experienced in pregnancy and in the postpartum and neonatal periods and consider potential strategies to address it.
Methods: This qualitative study was undertaken in Kaloleni and Rabai sub-counties in Kilifi County, Kenya. Between February and March 2021, we conducted in-depth interviews (IDIs) with pregnant and post-partum women (n=21) and nine focus group discussions (FGDs) with community health volunteers (CHVs), and with the male spouses and mothers-in-law of recently pregnant women.
Results: During pregnancy and delivery and in the post-partum period, women and their neonates are affected by extreme heat at the individual, household, and community levels. At the individual level, heat causes anxiety and diminishes pregnant women’s ability to perform basic activities of daily life. At the household level, women and their neonates face the intensity of heat from unventilated houses, which exacerbates the effects of dust and indoor pollution from cooking, interrupts sleep and makes infant feeding challenging. Indoor heat and pollution are also believed to increase chronic illnesses among mothers and their newborns. At the community level, extreme heat may cause women to remain in their homes for fear of walking in the heat, thereby affecting social relations and reducing attendance at antenatal and post-partum services. Poor access to clean water sources in these settings deepens women’s vulnerability to these effects of extreme heat.
Conclusions: Interventions to improve the built environment and availability of clean water are urgently needed. While household and community members support pregnant women on their journey to delivery, they would benefit from targeted educational interventions to raise their awareness of the consequences of heat stress.