Unusually hot or cold weather could affect babies' weight

(Photo/Ramona Heim/Shutterstock)

Unusually hot or cold weather may affect the birth weight of babies, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that women who experienced unusually hot or cold weather during pregnancy were at increased risk for having babies with a low birth weight, even when the baby was not born prematurely.

Given that global climate change is expected to lead to an increase in extreme weather events, including unusually hot or cold weather, "these results highlight the need for more research as well as public health awareness of the potential adverse effects of extreme local temperature during pregnancy," the researchers wrote in their findings, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Environmental Research.