NEW DELHI: Children and fetuses exposed to extreme hot and cold environments may experience critical impacts on their brain's white matter, essential for interregional communication, a recent study reveals.

Researchers emphasize that children's immature temperature regulation mechanisms make them particularly susceptible to environmental extremes. These early exposures can lead to lasting changes in white matter microstructure, the findings published in Nature Climate Change indicate.

Researchers, led by Mònica Guxens of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, examined nearly 2,700 preteens. The study suggests that exposure to abnormal temperatures during pregnancy and early childhood significantly affects brain development, resulting in slower maturation rates of white matter, which can later impact cognitive and mental health.