Exposure to high heat and humidity during pregnancy can stunt children’s height as they get older. Heat exposure alone can stunt growth, but researchers found that adding humidity compounds the problem considerably. Prenatal heat exposure also has lasting effects on long-term health and development. Together, these factors increase risks of heat stress, pregnancy loss, stillbirth, preterm birth and low birth weight. This study used a fine-scale, quasi-experimental design to analyze prenatal heat exposure for approximately 200,000 children across South Asia.

Source: Daily Mail December 21, 2025 15:40 UTC