El Niño storms blamed for stunting growth in Peruvian children

The weather system known as El Niño is thought to be responsible for causing natural disasters and disease outbreaks worldwide. It could also, researchers now say, be blamed for the stunted growth of children in Peru.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the US found that Peruvian children who were born during or immediately after a severe El Niño event 17 years ago were significantly shorter for their age than their peers born after the extreme storms abated. El Niño is a cyclical weather pattern that occurs every three to seven years in the equatorial Pacific region. Warming at the surface of the ocean builds up and heats the air above it which results in torrential rains and extreme flooding in the Americas.
Read more at:http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/el-nio-storms-blamed-for-stunting-growth-in-peruvian-children-9883021.html