AI- and data-driven analysis of environment and health: Can climate change affect health before birth?

Flagship Personalized, Real-Time Health Impact of Climate Change and Pollution

How do heat, air pollution and other environmental factors affect our health? And why are some groups more at risk than others?

Within the Flagship Personalized, Real-Time Health Impact of Climate Change and Pollution, researchers use large-scale health, weather and socioeconomic data to better understand how environmental exposures, such as heat and air pollution, affect health — and which groups are most vulnerable.
.

Heat, pregnancy and health at the very start of life

A recent study on temperature exposure during pregnancy is a clear example of this approach. Using national registry data from almost 2.5 million singleton births in the Netherlands, combined with weather and socioeconomic data, Jasper Been and colleagues investigated whether exposure to heat is associated with adverse birth outcomes.

The results show that unusually warm days during pregnancy are linked to a higher risk of preterm birth, low birth weight and being small for gestational age. The impact was strongest among children born into socioeconomically vulnerable households. This means heat is not only a climate issue, but also a matter of health inequality.

By connecting health, weather and socioeconomic data, we can better understand who is most at risk and where prevention or policy can make the biggest difference. This is especially important in the context of climate change, because its effects are not felt equally by everyone.”

Why data matters

The strength of this research lies in bringing different types of data together. By linking national data on birth outcomes with temperature and humidity measurements from KNMI weather stations and socioeconomic information, researchers can better identify which groups are more vulnerable, when exposure matters most, and where prevention or policy could have the greatest impact.

This directly connects to the broader ambition of the Flagship: to make climate and environmental exposure measurable and translate this knowledge into insights that can support prevention, health advice and policy. The combination of clinical expertise, public health, health economics, environmental modelling and data analysis makes it possible to look at this challenge not only from a medical perspective, but also from a societal and policy perspective.
.

From insight to prevention

Findings like these can support more targeted heat advice during pregnancy, extra attention for vulnerable groups during warm periods, and broader conversations about urban and housing measures that can reduce exposure to heat. Examples include more greenery, better housing quality and specific attention to neighborhoods where homes heat up more quickly or where green space is limited.

This is especially relevant for Rotterdam. Large cities retain heat longer than surrounding areas, and differences between neighborhoods can be substantial. In some neighborhoods, a combination of less greenery, poorer housing insulation and socioeconomic vulnerability may increase the health risks associated with heat.

This reflects a broader message from this field of research: prevention starts before birth and extends beyond the medical domain alone. Living environment, housing, climate adaptation, air quality and socioeconomic circumstances all play a role. Addressing these challenges therefore requires collaboration between healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, public partners and societal organizations.

In the broader research and policy context, Erasmus MC, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam work together with public partners such as the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, and initiatives related to Kansrijke Start.

.

Broad societal relevance

The study has already received public attention through outlets and platforms including NOS, NRC, a Studio Erasmus interview and the Lof der Geneeskunst public lecture on Healthy planet, healthy people. This shows that climate change and living environments are not only environmental issues, but also health issues, and that data is essential to make these effects visible, concrete and open to fairer public discussion.

In the coming years, the Flagship aims to further connect environmental exposure, health outcomes, behavior and policy analysis. In doing so, it can contribute to more targeted prevention strategies and healthier living environments for the groups most at risk.
.

Involved researchers

This research involves Jasper Been, Tom Van Ourti and Pilar Garcia Gomez, among others, from Erasmus MC and Erasmus University Rotterdam
.

Links