Hot, humid conditions during pregnancy undermine child health much more than heat alone

Geography researchers find that humidity prevents pregnant women from cooling down, quadrupling the negative effect of extreme heat on prenatal development.

It’s not just the heat; it’s the humidity. A new study by doctoral student Katie McMahon and professors Kathy Baylis and Chris Funk focuses on how this combination affects prenatal health in South Asia. Because high humidity prevents the body from cooling down naturally, the team found it significantly worsens the impact of heat stress — risks that standard temperature measurements often miss. Read the full story on The Current.


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