High temperatures and heat waves may lead to delays in early childhood development
· News-MedicalClimate change-including high temperatures and heat waves-has been shown to pose serious risks to the environment, food systems, and human health, but new research finds that it may also lead to delays in early childhood development.
Cuartas and his co-authors analyzed data for 19,607 three- and four-year-olds from Gambia, Georgia, Madagascar, Malawi, Palestine, and Sierra Leone, selected because they had detailed data on child development, household factors, and climate, which allowed the researchers to estimate children's exposure to different temperatures.
They found that children who were exposed to average maximum temperatures above 86 °F (30 °C) were 5 to 6.7 percent less likely to meet basic developmental milestones for literacy and numeracy compared to children exposed to temperatures lower than 78.8 °F in the same region and season. These effects were more pronounced among children from economically disadvantaged households, households with less access to clean water, and from urban areas.
"We urgently need more research to identify the mechanisms that explain these effects and the factors that either protect children or heighten their vulnerability. Such work will help pinpoint concrete targets for policies and interventions that strengthen preparedness, adaptation, and resilience as climate change intensifies," says Cuartas.
This study was co-authored by Lenin H. Balza of the Interamerican Development Bank, Andrés Camacho of the University of Chicago, and Nicolás Gómez-Parra of the Interamerican Development Bank.
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