Health Empirics

Children are especially vulnerable to climate variability. Rising global temperatures threaten their health and growth, and the risk of death goes up on "sweltering days". This study examined the links between temperature, child health and mortality outcomes across the climatic zones of India. It combined data from three sources: the DHS geospatial covariates, the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) and the Koppen climate classification. The analysis used bivariate tables,choropleth maps of prevalence, LISA cluster maps, Global Moran's I and multiple logistic regression. Climatic zone and very hot temperatures had harmful effects on child health outcomes, and these effects were stronger where socioeconomic and living-condition inequalities were wider. Maternal education and household wealth substantially reduced the effect of geographic disparities. Low birth weight and higher birth order were directly associated with poorer outcomes. Female children showed an advantage, with lower anthropometric and survival risks under temperature stress. India already faces extreme heat stress that is linked to poor child health, and temperatures are expected to rise further. The country urgently needs heat-specific interventions designed around local ecological conditions.