Living Lab 2: Supporting Pregnant Women During Heatwaves
Living Lab 2 (LL2) focuses on the health and well-being of pregnant women, a group particularly sensitive to rising temperatures and air pollution. This lab is being carried out in Catania (Italy) and Limassol (Cyprus), two Mediterranean cities experiencing frequent heatwaves and high levels of particulate matter.
Why pregnant women?
Pregnancy increases vulnerability to climate stress. Exposure to heat and air pollution has been linked to:
-
Higher risk of preterm birth and low birth weight
-
Increased maternal stress
-
Sleep disruptions, dehydration, and heat stress
-
Greater risk of pregnancy-related conditions such as hypertensive disease
LL2 aims to better understand these risks and test tools and practices that can help reduce them.
What will be tested?
In a randomised controlled trial, 102 pregnant women between 20–35 years old (in their second trimester) will be recruited across both sites. Participants will:
-
Receive personalised alerts for heat and air pollution events
-
Be guided through recommendations for reducing exposure
-
Use wearable sensors to monitor environmental and health data
-
Provide feedback via mobile and web applications
Where it takes place
-
Catania, Italy: A public hospital (ARNAS Garibaldi) with a large obstetrics department involved in mother-child cohort studies.
-
Limassol, Cyprus: A network of small private maternity clinics experienced in pregnancy research and clinical follow-up.
What’s the goal?
LL2 will assess how these interventions work in both public and private healthcare settings, offering insight into their effectiveness across different populations. The ultimate goal is to generate solid scientific evidence that can help improve care and self-protection strategies for pregnant women facing extreme climate conditions.
This work is part of ISMED-CLIM’s broader mission to test practical, science-based responses to climate-related health risks across the Mediterranean.