Previous studies have indicated Atlanta has been experiencing more heat waves due to the climate change and city heat island. The increasing extreme heat waves are significant threats to people living in Atlanta GA, especially for sensitive ones including pregnant women. The purpose of this research project is to investigate the relationship between the increase in heat waves in the metro Atlanta area and pregnancy outcomes. Specifically, the pregnancy outcomes that will be investigated are birth weight and preterm birth rates. It is hypothesized that the frequency of the heat waves in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia has a negative impact on pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weights and preterm births. Daily weather summaries and records of climatological observations were gathered from the United States Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. This research was an exploratory analysis. The data was inconclusive and did not provide enough information to prove that the heat index is related to negative pregnancy outcomes.
