BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - A recent study, published in Environmental Research, explored the connection between extreme heat exposure and neural tube defects, which are severe birth defects affecting the brain and spine that develop within the early period of pregnancy.
Neural tube is a narrow channel that folds and closes during the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy. The upper part of the tube helps form the baby's brain and skull, while the lower part of the neural tube helps form the spinal cord and back bones, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The defects in neural tube occur when it does not close properly, causing conditions such as spina bifida, anencephaly, and encephalocele.
For the study, researchers used Georgia county-level daily temperature data to assess extreme heat exposure before and during the first six weeks of pregnancy.
'Climate change presents a major urgent public health threat. Therefore, it is imperative to continue to evaluate the impacts of extreme ambient heat on human health, particularly among vulnerable groups such as pregnant people and infants,' said Sarah LaPointe, co-lead author.
The researchers concluded that the increasing exposure to the heat waves significantly raises the risk of neural tube defects, particularly spina bifida.
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