Researchers have warned that spells of excessive heat driven by climate change may lead to delays in early childhood development.
Children need “urgent” protection fromexcessive heatspells as the climate crisis continues to intensify.
New research from New York University warns that children exposed to higher-than-usual temperatures may experience delays in their early stages of development when compared to those living in areas with lower temperatures.
The findings come as EU scientists from Copernicus declare that 2025 will likely be the world’s second or third-hottest year on record – with global temperatures from January to November averaging 1.48℃ higher than preindustrial levels.
How excessive heat impacts children’s development (H2)
Published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the new study analysed 19,607 three and four-year-olds from The Gambia, Georgia, Malawi, Madagascar, Palestine and Sierra Leone.
Researchers selected these countries due to the detailed data they have on children’s development, household factors and climate.
They found that children who were exposed to average maximum temperatures above 30℃ were 5 to 6.7 per cent less likely to meet basic development milestones for literacy and numeracy compared to children exposed to temperatures lower than 26℃ in the same region and season.
These effects were “more pronounced” among children from economically disadvantaged households, as well as households with less access to clean water and urban areas.
Protecting children from excessive heat
“We urgently need more research to identify the mechanisms that explain these effects and the factors that either protect children or heighten their vulnerability,” says lead author Jorge Cuartas.
“Such work will help pinpoint concrete targets for policies and interventions that strengthen preparedness, adaptation and resilience as climate change intensifies.”
With early development laying the foundation for lifelong learning, physical and mental health and overall wellbeing, Cuartas warns these findings should alert researchers, policymakers and practitioners to the “urgent need to protect children’s development in a warming world”.
Why are excessive heat spells becoming more frequent?
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human-caused climate change has worsened the frequency and intensity of heatwaves since the 1950s, with just 0.5℃ of global warming capable of producing “discernible increases”.
This summer, climate changeincreased temperatures by up to 3.6℃ across 854 European cities. Researchers at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that around 24,400 people died as a result of extreme temperatures in Europe this summer.
However, without warming caused by human activities, 16,500 of these deaths could have been avoided, meaning climate change was responsible for 68 per cent of the excess deaths.
Dr Clair Barnes of Imperial College London says while the figure may not sound like much, the study shows that just a few degrees can be the difference between “life and death for thousands of people”.
“It’s another reminder that climate change isn’t an issue we can just deal with at some point in the future,” she adds.
