Climate change worsens child malnutrition: study.

Paris -- Climate change may contribute more to greater child malnutrition and poor diet than traditional causes such as poverty and poor sanitation, according to research published on Thursday.

Although childhood malnutrition has decreased globally over the past several decades, undernourishment has increased since 2015, in part due to warming temperatures and extreme weather.

The United Nations says 144 million children under five were affected by stunting in 2019 as a result of chronic malnutrition, with a further 47 million suffering from wasting caused by low nutrient intake.

Experts fear that the decline in essential nutrients in an increasing number of regions will challenge humanity's ability to properly feed 10 billion people by mid-century.

A team of researchers led by the University of Vermont examined diet diversity among more than 100,000 under-fives in 19 low-income countries across Asia, Africa and South America.

They...