Heat and Young Children’s Development ^{CEFR B2}

Researchers analyzed links between heat exposure and early childhood milestone attainment using detailed survey and climate records. The study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, combined developmental data for 19,607 three- and four-year-olds with local monthly average temperatures in Gambia, Georgia, Madagascar, Malawi, Palestine and Sierra Leone to estimate each child’s heat exposure.

Development was measured with the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI). The ECDI assesses four domains: literacy and numeracy, social-emotional development, approaches to learning, and physical development. The authors also incorporated 2017–2020 data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), which include information on education, health, nutrition and sanitation, to control for household conditions.

The researchers report that exposure to average maximum temperatures above 86 °F (30 °C) was associated with a 5 to 6.7 percent lower likelihood of meeting basic literacy and numeracy milestones compared with exposure to temperatures below about 78.8 °F in the same region and season. Negative associations were stronger for children from economically disadvantaged households, for those in homes with less access to clean water, and for children in urban areas.

Lead author Jorge Cuartas, assistant professor at NYU Steinhardt, said the findings indicate excessive heat can harm young children’s development across different countries. The authors call for more research to identify the mechanisms behind these links and the factors that protect children or increase their vulnerability, noting that such work could help shape preparedness, adaptation and resilience policies. Additional coauthors are from the Interamerican Development Bank and the University of Chicago.