2022

"Global heating linked to early birth and damage to babies’ health, scientists find"


The Guardian quoted Dr. Lara Cushing about research that found the risk of any premature birth was 15% higher the day after a day of excessive heat.

Pregnant belly

The climate crisis is damaging the health of foetuses, babies and infants across the world, six new studies have found.

Scientists discovered increased heat was linked to fast weight gain in babies, which increases the risk of obesity in later life. Higher temperatures were also linked to premature birth, which can have lifelong health effects, and to increased hospital admissions of young children.

Other studies found exposure to smoke from wildfires doubled the risk of a severe birth defects, while reduced fertility was linked to air pollution from fossil fuel burning, even at low levels. The studies, published in a special issue of the journal Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, spanned the globe from the US to Denmark, Israel and Australia.

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Faculty Referenced by this Article

Dr. Lara Cushing
Lara Cushing
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Robert Schiestl
Robert Schiestl
Environmental Health Sciences
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Andre Nel
André Nel
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Daniel Uslan
Daniel Uslan
Environmental Health Sciences
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Nicole Green
Environmental Health Sciences
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Feng Gao
Feng Gao
Environmental Health Sciences
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Kirsten Schwarz
Environmental Health Sciences
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Timothy Malloy
Environmental Health Sciences
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Curtis Eckhert
Curtis Eckhert
Environmental Health Sciences
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Arthur Cho
Arthur Cho
Environmental Health Sciences
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Michael Jerrett
Michael Jerrett
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Candace Tsai
Candace Tsai

Associate Professor for Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences

Environmental Health Sciences
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Arthur Winer
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Oliver Hankinson
Oliver Hankinson

Dr. Hankinson is a Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and of EHS, and Chair of the Molecular Toxicology IDP

Environmental Health Sciences
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Jian Li
Jian Li
Environmental Health Sciences Epidemiology
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Arabzadah, Hamid
Hamid Arabzadeh
Environmental Health Sciences
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Angelo J Bellomo
Angelo Bellomo
Environmental Health Sciences
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Michael Collins
Michael Collins
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Shane Que Hee
Shane Que Hee

Industrial Hygiene & Analytical Chemistry

Environmental Health Sciences
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Rosenstock
Linda Rosenstock
Environmental Health Sciences Health Policy and Management
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Mel Suffet
Irwin Suffet
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Kevin Njabo
Kevin Njabo
Environmental Health Sciences
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Tao Huai
Tao Huai
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Pouran D. Faghri
Pouran D. Faghri
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Yifang Zhu
Yifang Zhu
Environmental Health Sciences
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Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond
Environmental Health Sciences
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Brian Cole
Brian Cole
Environmental Health Sciences
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Niklas Krause
Environmental Health Sciences Epidemiology
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Rachael Jones
Rachael Jones
Environmental Health Sciences
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Richard Ambrose
Richard Ambrose
Environmental Health Sciences
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Pablo Cicero-Fernandez
Pablo Cicero-Fernandez
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Beate Ritz
Beate Ritz
Environmental Health Sciences Epidemiology
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Richard J. Jackson
Richard J. Jackson
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Jane Valentine
Jane Valentine
Environmental Health Sciences
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Jesus Araujo
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Wendie Robbins
Wendie Robbins
Environmental Health Sciences
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Miriam Marlier
Miriam Marlier
Environmental Health Sciences
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