Climate Change: 3M Children May Stunt by 2050

Climate change is projected to significantly worsen child health in South Asia, with a study estimating over three million additional cases of childhood stunting by 2050 due to hot and humid conditions. Research from the University of California Santa Barbara indicates that extreme heat and humidity during pregnancy pose serious risks to fetal development, impacting growth indicators like height-for-age.

The study emphasizes that humidity plays a critical role in intensifying the detrimental effects of heat stress on pregnant women, who are already more susceptible to overheating. Exposure during the third trimester, in particular, showed health outcomes four times worse compared to heat alone, affecting both maternal and fetal vulnerability.

These findings suggest that previous research focusing solely on temperature may have underestimated the true impact of extreme weather. With South Asia facing increased hot-humid exposures, this poses a critical threat to the health of millions of children, underscoring the urgent need for climate action.