Impact of extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and social factors on maternal health
Official title: Impact of Extreme Heat, Wildfire Smoke, and Community-Level Social Vulnerability on Maternal Health
Funded at Univ of Maryland, College Park · NIH-11368209 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant looks at how extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and community vulnerability affect pregnancy-related health issues and outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project start | August 24, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $515,009 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HD119447-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11368209 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant individuals or those planning pregnancy who live in areas with varying heat and wildfire smoke exposure and social vulnerability.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not affected by heat or smoke exposure during pregnancy or without access to related health services may see limited direct benefits.
What this research studies
The project examines how hot weather and wildfire smoke before and during pregnancy influence conditions like hypertensive disorders and gestational diabetes, using a large U.S. healthcare claims dataset. It also explores whether social vulnerability modifies these relationships across the country. A new wildfire smoke dataset will be used to quantify exposure, along with detailed PM2.5 components. The goal is to identify actionable information that could improve reproductive health for mothers in communities most affected by heat, smoke, and inequality.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform policies and interventions to protect pregnant people from heat and smoke exposure and reduce disparities in maternal health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous large-scale studies have shown associations between environmental exposures and maternal health, but this project expands by combining heat, smoke, and social vulnerability at a national scale.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Maryland, College Park
College Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stowell, Jennifer Diane — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Stowell, Jennifer Diane
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Non-invasive, continuous blood pressure monitoring for prenatal maternal health
A wearable device from PyrAmes uses comfortable, non-invasive sensors and smart software to constantly monitor a pregnant person’s blood pressure and heart health so doctors can protect both mom and baby.
-
Identifying how ableism affects pregnancy and postpartum care for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities on Medicaid
This grant studies how bias and barriers in the healthcare system affect pregnancy and postpartum outcomes for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are on Medicaid and their babies.
-
UIC Maternal Health Center of Excellence brings together teams to improve maternal health in communities
A center-based program at UIC will work with communities and researchers to reduce maternal death and serious health problems by improving systems of care.
-
SAFE Futures: Supporting AIAN Maternal Health with remote monitoring and community help
A pilot program tests a culturally tailored, tech-supported prenatal care approach for American Indian and Alaska Native women to improve engagement and communication with providers.
-
Tailored postpartum care strategies to improve maternal health
A real-world study tests a customized set of postpartum care practices led by community partners to improve new mothers' health and safety.
-
Ama Bidziil: Strengthening AI mothers’ health with community doulas
A Johns Hopkins-led project will explore how AI community doulas affect maternal health for American Indian women in rural Navajo communities.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.