Citation

Dimitrova A, Dimitrova A, Mengel M, Gasparrini A, Lotze-Campen H, Gabrysch S. Nat. Commun. 2024; 15(1): e5504.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-49890-x

PMID

38951496

Abstract

Exposure to high and low ambient temperatures increases the risk of neonatal mortality, but the contribution of climate change to temperature-related neonatal deaths is unknown. We use Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data (n = 40,073) from 29 low- and middle-income countries to estimate the temperature-related burden of neonatal deaths between 2001 and 2019 that is attributable to climate change. We find that across all countries, 4.3% of neonatal deaths were associated with non-optimal temperatures. Climate change was responsible for 32% (range: 19-79%) of heat-related neonatal deaths, while reducing the respective cold-related burden by 30% (range: 10-63%). Climate change has impacted temperature-related neonatal deaths in all study countries, with most pronounced climate-induced losses from increased heat and gains from decreased cold observed in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Future increases in global mean temperatures are expected to exacerbate the heat-related burden, which calls for ambitious mitigation and adaptation measures to safeguard the health of newborns.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Female; Male; Health Surveys; Temperature; *Climate Change; Hot Temperature/adverse effects; *Developing Countries/statistics & numerical data; *Infant Mortality/trends; Africa South of the Sahara/epidemiology; Cold Temperature/adverse effects