Is ambient temperature associated with risk of infant mortality? A multi-city study in Korea
Abstract
Background Although numerous studies have shown increased risk of mortality from elevated temperatures for adults, limited studies have examined temperature's effect on mortality for infants. Our study investigated the city-specific and overall effects of ambient temperature on infant mortality in seven major cities in Korea, 2004-2007.Methods Birth cohort using a linked birth and death records included 777,570 births with 557 all-cause deaths. We estimated city-specific hazard ratios for each city using an extended Cox proportional hazards model with time-dependent covariates. Then we combined city-specific hazard ratios to generate overall hazard ratio across the seven cities using a Bayesian hierarchical model. Stratified analyses were conducted by cause of death (total and SIDS), exposure period (whole gestation, each trimester, lifetime, 1 month before death, and 2 weeks before death), sex, and maternal characteristics.Results Overall across the cities, we found significantly positive associations between ambient temperature during 1 month before death or 2 weeks before death and infant mortality from total or SIDS. The overall hazard ratio of infant mortality from total deaths and SIDS for a 1°C increase during 1 month before death was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.46-1.57) and 1.50 (95% CI, 1.35-1.66), respectively. We also found suggestive evidence that some factors such as mother's age may modify the association.Conclusions Our findings have implications for establishment of policy to reduce the risk of infant mortality from high ambient temperature under climate change.
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Subsequent studies emphasised an increased overall mortality risk from heatwaves in children, particularly infants.
“Subsequent studies emphasised an increased overall mortality risk from heatwaves in children, particularly infants, 24,25”
From Climate change and child health: A scoping review and an expanded conceptual framework (2021) · cites this paper as [25]
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- Authors
- Son, J.-Y., Lee, J.-T., & Bell, M. L.
- Affiliations
- Yale University (US)
- Korea University (KR)
- Corresponding author
- Bell, Michelle L.
- Venue
- Environmental Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-10
- Volume
- 158
- Pages
- 748-752
- ISSN
- 0013-9351 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2738795088
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 0.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environmental Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock
- Keywords
- ambient temperature, infant mortality, sudden infant death syndrome, heat exposure, climate change, maternal age, prenatal exposure, birth cohort, Bayesian hierarchical model
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Bayes Theorem, Cities, Female, Hot Temperature, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Mothers, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Sudden Infant Death, Cohort Studies, Proportional Hazards Models, Young Adult, Republic of Korea, Climate Change
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