Climate Change Impacts on Birth Outcomes in Brazil

This analytical report published by Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) attempts to identify the climatic effect on birth outcomes in Brazil. Panel data models indicate that excess and lack of rainfall have the most important harmful effects on newborns’ health (temperature stresses and low relative humidity also have effects). The use of climate change forecasts for Brazil suggests a possible increase of 305 neonatal deaths annually and three thousand additional low-weight births each year. The paper further examines public policy’s role in minimizing the effects of extreme weather.