Environmental exposures during early life can have significant impacts on children’s development, according to a recent study published in Nature Climate Change. The research, conducted on 2,681 children from the Netherlands Generation R birth cohort, found that both cold and heat exposure during prenatal life and childhood can affect white matter development in the brain.

The study utilized magnetic resonance imaging to assess the children’s brain development. The results showed that exposure to heat during infancy and toddlerhood, as well as cold exposure during pregnancy and infancy, led to higher mean diffusivity in the white matter of the brain during preadolescence. This higher mean diffusivity is indicative of reduced myelination and maturation of the white matter microstructure.

Interestingly, the study did not find any associations between these environmental exposures and fractional anisotropy. Additionally, the research highlighted that children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods were more vulnerable to the effects of cold and heat exposure.

The findings of this study suggest that environmental factors such as cold and heat exposure during critical periods of brain development can have long-lasting impacts on children’s brain structure. This research underscores the importance of considering these risks in the context of ongoing climate change.

Further research in this area could help in understanding the specific mechanisms through which environmental exposures affect brain development in children. By gaining a deeper insight into these processes, interventions and policies can be developed to mitigate the negative impacts of environmental factors on children’s health and well-being.