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The Effect of High and Low Ambient Temperature on Infant Health: A Systematic Review
Darshnika Pemi Lakhoo1, Helen Abigail Blake2,3, Matthew Francis Chersich1
1Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa.
Insights
Infants are vulnerable to extreme temperatures. High temperatures increase risks for infant mortality and hospital admissions, while cold impacts infant mortality and respiratory diseases, necessitating public health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Infants possess unique physiological, anatomical, and social characteristics that heighten their susceptibility to environmental temperature extremes.
- Vulnerability to temperature fluctuations poses significant risks to infant health and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the existing literature on the association between acute adverse infant outcomes and exposure to high and low ambient temperatures.
- To identify specific infant health outcomes linked to short-term temperature variations.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review was conducted, searching major databases including MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, CINAHL Plus, and Global Health.
- Twenty-six published English-language studies assessing adverse infant outcomes (0-1 years) related to short-term weather-related temperature exposure were included.
Main Results:
- Higher ambient temperatures were associated with increased risks of acute infant mortality, hospital admissions, and hand, foot, and mouth disease.
- Lower temperatures were linked to increased infant mortality and respiratory disease episodes.
- Findings regarding the impact of temperature on sudden infant death syndrome were inconsistent across studies.
Conclusions:
- Both high and low ambient temperatures pose significant risks to infant health, affecting mortality, morbidity, and infectious disease outcomes.
- There is a limited evidence base from low- and middle-income countries, highlighting a need for broader research.
- Public health strategies are crucial to mitigate the adverse effects of temperature extremes on infants.
Abstract:
Children, and particularly infants, have physiological, anatomic, and social factors that increase vulnerability to temperature extremes. We performed a systematic review to explore the association between acute adverse infant outcomes (children 0-1 years) and exposure to high and low ambient temperatures. MEDLINE (Pubmed), Embase, CINAHL Plus, and Global Health were searched alongside the reference lists of key papers. We included published journal papers in English that assessed adverse infant outcomes related to short-term weather-related temperature exposure. Twenty-six studies met our inclusion criteria. Outcomes assessed included: infant mortality (n = 9), sudden infant death syndrome (n = 5), hospital visits or admissions (n = 5), infectious disease outcomes (n = 5), and neonatal conditions such as jaundice (n = 2). Higher temperatures were associated with increased risk of acute infant mortality, hospital admissions, and hand, foot, and mouth disease. Several studies identified low temperature impacts on infant mortality and episodes of respiratory disease. Findings on temperature risks for sudden infant death syndrome were inconsistent. Only five studies were conducted in low- or middle-income countries, and evidence on subpopulations and temperature-sensitive infectious diseases was limited. Public health measures are required to reduce the impacts of heat and cold on infant health.
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