Pakistan, July 18 -- A new study examining nearly 47,000 births across four Pakistani cities has found that extreme heat during pregnancy has little to no significant connection with premature births, challenging assumptions drawn from earlier international research.

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The study, led by researchers Dr Shaper Mirza of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and Dr Faridah Amir Ali of the Indus Hospital and Health Network, analysed 46,773 births recorded between June 2021 and July 2024 in Karachi, Lahore, Muzaffargarh and Badin.

Premature birth, defined as delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy, is the leading direct cause of newborn deaths worldwide. Pakistan ...