Study Links Extreme Heat to Surge in Low Birth Weight
The study examined health records from over 85,000 mothers and infants in Pakistan, drawing on a decade of birth data from 2008 to 2017 alongside temperature records. The analysis aimed to determine how heat exposure influences birth weight, the university said in a statement released Thursday.
Researchers found that 18 percent of newborns fell into the low-birth-weight category, defined as weighing under 2.5 kilograms or being considered smaller than average at birth.
Published in BMC Medicine, the study attributed roughly 13 percent of these cases to high temperatures. That share is expected to climb by an additional 8 to 10 percent by the 2060s as climate change intensifies.
In certain regions of Pakistan, pregnant women facing extreme heat were up to 70 percent more likely to give birth to underweight babies. The heightened risk is linked to a combination of hotter climates and socioeconomic challenges, among other factors, said Associate Professor Zohra Lassi of Adelaide University’s Robinson Research Institute, who led the project.
Lassi noted that low birth weight is closely associated with neonatal deaths and can result in long-term health complications, including stunted growth and cognitive impairments.
Lead author Hira Fatima, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Canberra, emphasized the urgent need for stronger maternal healthcare systems and climate-resilient care strategies.
Fatima warned that climate change, combined with poverty and limited healthcare access, poor air quality and maternal undernutrition "can deepen risks for mothers and newborns in ways that are far from equal."
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