Pregnancy can be a time of joy and anticipation. But it can also be a nerve-wracking experience, with many factors affecting when and how a baby arrives.

A new study, published today, suggests when pregnant women are exposed to high levels of humid heat during pregnancy, they are more likely to have a preterm birth.

However, this study also found taking aspirin at low doses during pregnancy could help reduce this risk. But pregnant women should speak to a doctor before taking aspirin or other medications.

What is a preterm birth?

Preterm birth is when a baby is born prematurely, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Globally, roughly 10% of babies – or about 13 million infants – are born preterm each year.

Tragically, about one million of these babies do not survive. That makes preterm birth the leading cause of death in children under five.

There are three different types of preterm births:

extremely preterm, referring to a live birth before 28 weeks

very preterm, when a baby is born between 28 and 32 weeks

moderate to late preterm, meaning delivery between 32 and 37 weeks.

Read more: 20% of pregnant Australian women don’t receive the recommended mental health screening

It’s unclear what exactly causes preterm birth. And many cases happen spontaneously, meaning there are no signs a baby will be born early.

However, certain factors may increase a woman’s risk of giving birth prematurely. These include genetics, various infections and chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. These risk factors all cause inflammation in the body, which current........

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