Heat Stress Threatens Infant Development in The Gambia

An analysis of over 600 pregnancies in The Gambia reveals that heat exposure during pregnancy and infancy influences fetal and infant development. The study highlights an urgent need to address climate-related health impacts, particularly as climate change intensifies. Researchers call for public health interventions.

An alarming new study has unveiled that exposure to high temperatures may significantly impact fetal and infant development. Conducted in The Gambia, the research analyzed over 600 pregnancies, underscoring the detrimental effects of heat stress on babies, both in the womb and during their first two years of life.

The findings, published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal, indicate that each one-degree Celsius rise in daily temperatures during the initial trimester of pregnancy correlates with reduced birth weights. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine led the decade-spanning study, observing 668 infants throughout their crucial first 1,000 days.

The study's authors emphasize an urgent need for interventions as climate change exacerbates heat stress risks. They urge stakeholders to consider environmental factors influencing health and highlight the intersection of climate change, food insecurity, and undernutrition as crises impacting vulnerable populations, including children.

(With inputs from agencies.)