A recent scientific study conducted in Southern California has found a possible link between exposure to high temperatures during certain stages of pregnancy and an increased risk of children developing autism spectrum disorders, highlighting the growing impact of climate on the health of future generations.
The study included about 295,000 mothers and babies, and the researchers focused on measuring nighttime body temperature and analyzing its effect on the fetus’ neurological development. The results showed that children whose mothers were exposed to hotter than normal nights during the first weeks of pregnancy were 15% more likely to be diagnosed with autism.
They also showed that exposure to heatwaves between 30 and 37 weeks of pregnancy increased the risk by an additional 13%. Nights when temperatures were above 90% to 99% of normal recorded the highest rate of increase in infection risk.
The study showed that a rise in temperature of 3.6 to 5.6 degrees above normal could have a negative impact on the neurological development of the fetus, especially given the acceleration of global warming.
In a statement, researcher Mustafa al-Rahman, assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the university, said: “While we typically focus on the dangers of daytime heat, our results confirm that nighttime heat exposure is just as important. There is a strong correlation between nighttime heat during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism, and shows that 24-hour heat exposure needs to be addressed.”
The study concluded that it is possible to identify a critical period during pregnancy when the effects of high temperatures are most dangerous for mother and fetus, and to take early preventive measures. The research team also expressed hope that the results will pave the way for further research to understand the exact biological mechanisms behind this relationship, as exposure to extreme heat, especially during pregnancy, has been associated with a number of health complications, including delayed neurodevelopment and impaired central nervous system development in fetuses.
A recent scientific study conducted in Southern California found a potential link between exposure to high temperatures during certain stages of pregnancy and an increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorders in children, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on the health of future generations.
The study included approximately 295,000 mothers and babies, and the researchers focused on measuring nighttime body temperature and analyzing its effects on fetal neurodevelopment. The results showed that children whose mothers experienced warmer-than-normal nights during the first weeks of pregnancy were 15% more likely to be diagnosed with autism.
They also found that exposure to heatwaves between 30 and 37 weeks of pregnancy increased the risk by an additional 13%. People were most likely to develop this condition on nights when temperatures were above 90% to 99% of normal.
The study showed that an increase in temperature between 3.6 and 5.6 degrees Celsius above normal levels could have a negative impact on fetal neural development, especially considering the accelerated phenomenon of global warming.
Researcher Mustafa Rahman, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the university, said in a comment that the focus is usually on the risks of daytime heat. However, the results confirm that nocturnal heat exposure is just as important, showing that there is a strong correlation between higher nighttime temperatures during pregnancy and increased risk of autism, thus requiring a response to 24-hour heat exposure.
The study concluded that it is important to identify the critical period during pregnancy when the effects of high temperatures are most dangerous for both mother and fetus, allowing early preventive measures. The research team also expressed hope that these findings will pave the way for further research to understand the underlying biological mechanisms behind this relationship, as exposure to extreme heat, especially during pregnancy, has previously been associated with several health complications, including delayed neurodevelopment and impaired central nervous system development in the fetus.
