Scientists from Britain and Brazil have found out how global climate change can affect the health of babies. The work of the staff of Lancaster University and the Osvaldo Cruz Research Institute is highlighted in an article published in Nature Sustainability.
As noted, for 11 years, experts have studied fertility data in 43 highly river-dependent municipalities in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Scientists were able to establish a relationship between the amount of precipitation during the mother's pregnancy and the weight and growth of her child at birth.
Research shows that extreme climatic conditions contribute to premature birth, resulting in underweight or stunted babies.
“Heavy rainfall in the Amazon is causing flooding in rivers that puts poorer families at risk of waterborne diseases. As a result, conditions are created for the reproduction of mosquitoes, which leads to outbreaks of dengue and malaria,”the experts said.
Earlier, German scientists conducted a study and found that the Gulf Stream and other components of the "current conveyor" in the North Atlantic have reached their minimum activity in a thousand years.
