Climate change negatively affects birth weight

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/uou-ccn092815.php

Public Release: 29-Sep-2015
Climate change negatively affects birth weight, University of Utah study finds
University of Utah

From melting glaciers to increasing wildfires, the consequences of climate change and strategies to mitigate such consequences are often a hotly debated topic. A new study led by the University of Utah adds to the ever-growing list of negative impacts climate change can have on humans--low birth weight.

The first of its kind, the two-year project led by U geography professor Kathryn Grace examined the relationship among precipitation, temperature and birth weight in 19 African countries. Grace and her team utilized high quality, detailed climate data in conjunction with extensive health data to focus on climate change and its effects on birth weight in the developing world.

The new findings show that a pregnant woman's exposure to reduced precipitation and an increased number of very hot days indeed results in lower birth weight.

•••••