India, Dec. 21 -- Hot, humid conditions prevent pregnant women from cooling down. Thus, their exposure to such conditions quadruples the effect of extreme heat on child health, according to a new study by the University of California, Santa Barbara, which carried out the research in the Indian subcontinent.

The researchers looked at the effect of prenatal exposure to extremely hot, humid conditions on the health of children in South Asia.

"Exposure to hot, humid conditions in-utero is dangerous for child health, and more dangerous than just hot temperatures alone," said lead author Katie McMahon, a doctoral student under Kathy Baylis in the Geography Department, in a statement by the university.

The study

The authors looked at height-...