EXPOSURE to extreme heat is increasing the risk of babies being born underweight, according to new research led by Australia’s Adelaide University.
The study analyzed health data from more than 85,000 mothers and babies in Pakistan, combining 10 years of birth records (2008-2017) with temperature data to assess how extreme heat affects birth weight, a statement from Adelaide University said Thursday.
The findings showed that 18 per cent of babies were found to have low birth weight, defined as weighing less than 2.5 kilogrammes or being described as smaller than average in size at birth.
The research, published in BMC Medicine, linked about 13 per cent of low-birth-weight cases to hot weather, a figure projected to rise by 8-10 per cent by the 2060s due to climate change. — Xinhua
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