Climate Change Might Dull Children's Intellectual Growth

Key Takeaways

Climate change could be denting kids’ intellectual development

Children growing up with high temperatures are less likely to meet developmental milestones for literacy and math

This trend occurred in average temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit, compared with temps lower than 79 degrees

TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Climate change could pose a threat to children’s intellectual development, a new study says.

Kids growing up under higher-than-usual temperatures – average temps above 86 degrees Fahrenheit – are less likely to meet developmental milestones for literacy and mathematics, researchers reported Dec. 8 in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry .

“Because early development lays the foundation for lifelong learning, physical and mental he