Overview
- The peer‑reviewed findings appear in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry with lead authors from New York University.
- Researchers analyzed 19,607 children aged three to four across Gambia, Georgia, Madagascar, Malawi, Palestine and Sierra Leone.
- Development was measured using the Early Childhood Development Index alongside 2017–2020 MICS household data linked to monthly temperature records.
- The heat‑related shortfalls were larger for children from lower‑income households, families with limited access to clean water, and those living in urban areas.
- Lead author Jorge Cuartas urges urgent research and policy responses, as Copernicus reports indicate 2025 is likely among the warmest years on record with a potential three‑year stretch above 1.5°C.