The Consortium announces new publications written by prominent and active physician members, one appearing last week in JAMA; the other earlier this month in the ACEP Journal Annals of Emergency Medicine.
The first publication, Association of Air Pollution and Heat Exposure With Preterm Birth, Low Birth Weight, and Stillbirth in the US was co-authored by Consortium member Nate DeNicola, MD, MSHP. Dr. DeNicola is a member of ACOG and is also the liaison between ACOG and the American Academy of Pediatrics. His fellow author, Dr. Bruce Bekkar is a Consortium Climate and Health Advocate. The article explores the implications of the association between heat, air pollution and birth outcomes for the social determinants of health and environmental justice. The study finds that women exposed to high temperatures or air pollution are more likely to have premature, underweight or stillborn babies. This piece is written up by the NYT on 6/18/20 “Climate Change Tied to Pregnancy Risks, Affecting Black Mothers Most.”
The second title, Clinical Implications of Climate Change on US Emergency Medicine: Challenges and Opportunities, was co-authored by member Dr. Cecilia Sorenson. Dr. Cecilia Sorenson is a Climate and Health Advocate and was a Climate Health Fellow with the Consortium in 2018. She is currently Emergency Medicine faculty at the University of California, Denver. The article outlines how climate change is and will continue to affect emergency medicine practice and lists 7 key areas through which emergency medicine can lead the medical response to climate change.