Climate change does not just affect our environment; it also has a profound impact on the brain development of children.
A recent study published in
Nature Climate Change reveals that early exposure to extreme temperatures can have lasting effects on the brain's white matter, especially in children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), this research highlights a new dimension of children's vulnerability to climate change.
Scientists are particularly concerned about children's health in the face of extreme temperatures, whether cold or hot. Given that children's body temperature regulation mechanisms are still immature, they are more sensitive to climate variations. The study led by Mònica Guxens of ISGlobal focuses on the structure of white matter in the brains of preadolescents to better understand this vulnerability.
Researchers examined the brains of 2,681 children aged 9 to 12, from the
Generation R cohort in Rotterdam. Using MRI to measure brain connectivity, they observed that exposure to cold during pregnancy and the first year of life, as well as exposure to heat up to the age of three, are associated with slower white matter maturation.
White matter, composed of fibers connecting different brain regions, plays a crucial role in brain communication. Laura Granés, a researcher at IDIBELL and co-author of the study, explains that children exposed to extreme temperatures exhibit differences in the average diffusivity of water in white matter, an indicator of maturation. These findings are particularly concerning for children living in impoverished areas, where housing conditions and energy poverty exacerbate these effects.
Potential mechanisms explaining these effects include disturbed sleep quality, altered placental functions, or increased cortisol production due to stress.