Work

Heat, Humidity, and Infant Mortality in the Developing World

Year: 2018

Type: report

Abstract: We study how extreme temperature exposure impacts infant survival in the developing world.Our analysis overcomes the absence of vital registration systems in many poor countries, which has been a limiting factor in the temperature-mortality literature, by extracting birth histories from household surveys.Studying 53 developing countries that span the globe, we find impacts of hot days on infant mortality that are an order of magnitude larger than estimates from rich country studies, with humidity playing an important role.The size and implied geographic distribution of harms documented here have the potential to significantly alter assessments of optimal climate policy.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research

DOI: 10.3386/w24870

Authors: Michael Geruso, Dean Spears

Institutions: National Bureau of Economic Research, Duke University, The University of Texas at Austin

Language: English

Topic: Climate Change and Health Impacts

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, University of Texas at Austin, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development