Bangladesh has made remarkable strides in reducing childhood stunting, cutting rates from 42% in 2012 to 28% in 2019. However™a new less understood threat looms climate change. Could rising temperatures erase years of progress in child health and nutrition?
A recent study, Extreme Heat Exposure in the First 1,000 Days: Implications for Childhood Stunting in Bangladesh, has drawn a direct link between heat exposure during early childhood and stunting. It found that a 1% increase in extreme heat days raises the odds of stunting by 56%, with heat exposure after birth having a 67% stronger effect than in utero exposure (28%).
How Heat Impacts Child Growth
Extreme heat disrupts critical biological processes in both mothers and children:
- Pregnant women exposed to heat suffer from reduced oxygen and nutrient supply to the baby, increasing the risk of low birth weight and preterm birth.
- Infants struggle to regulate body temperature, leading to higher energy needs and reduced appetite, making them more vulnerable to undernutrition.
- Heat-induced diarrhea further prevents proper nutrient absorption, worsening stunting risks.
Bangladesh is already one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, with rising temperatures and frequent heatwaves threatening long-term child health. If current trends persist, extreme heat days could rise by 33% by 2050, making the challenge even more severe.
The problem isn’t limited to Bangladesh. Studies in West Africa found that a 2°C rise in temperature led to a 7.4% increase in stunting prevalence. Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue it is a direct threat to child survival, growth, and potential.
What Needs to Be Done?
To tackle climate-driven stunting, urgent action is needed across multiple sectors:
- Health programs must train workers to manage heat risks for pregnant women and infants.
- Safe drinking water access and hydration programs should be expanded in high-risk areas.
- Breastfeeding support initiatives must be strengthened, as heat stress can reduce maternal milk production.
- Food security measures and climate-smart agriculture are critical to ensuring nutritious diets during heatwaves.
- Social protection schemes like cash transfers and food assistance can help families cope with climate-related economic losses.
- Early warning systems for heatwaves must be developed to allow communities to prepare for extreme temperatures.
Bangladesh has tackled major public health crises before, but climate change presents a new frontier. If action isn’t taken now, millions of children could face poor growth, reduced cognitive abilities, and lifelong economic disadvantages.
Governments, policymakers, and civil society must act immediately to integrate climate resilience into maternal and child health strategies. The future of Bangladesh’s children and decades of progress depends on it.