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TL;DR
This cohort study from rural Nepal found that drought exposure in the first trimester was associated with lower birthweight, while excess rainfall in the same period was linked to higher birthweight and higher odds of male infant sex.
Environmental Epidemiology · 4 authors, 4 centres
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This cohort study from rural Nepal found that drought exposure in the first trimester was associated with lower birthweight, while excess rainfall in the same period was linked to higher birthweight and higher odds of male infant sex.
The authors used multilevel regressions to examine associations between drought or excess rainfall exposures during the preconception period and each trimester of pregnancy and birth outcomes. The central results showed that drought in the first trimester was associated with a lower birthweight (β = −82.9 g), while excess rainfall in the first trimester was associated with a higher birthweight (β = 111.6 g). Excess rainfall in the third trimester was linked to higher odds of low birthweight (OR = 2.50). Additionally, drought in the preconception period and excess rainfall in the first trimester were associated with higher odds of having a male infant. The findings suggest that climate extremes may impact birth outcomes and infant sex ratios in agrarian populations, but further research is needed to clarify causal pathways.