Call to action: recognize and prevent the effects of extreme heat on early childhood development and health
The frequency and severity of heat waves are expected to worsen with climate change. Exposure to extreme heat, or prolonged unusually high temperatures, are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The fetus, infant, and young child are more sensitive to higher temperatures than older chil...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1654097/full |
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| author | Vanitha Sampath Devon Payne-Sturges Natalie Slopen Nathaniel Harnett Nathaniel Harnett Alison G. Lee Kari Nadeau Nat Kendall Taylor Lindsey Burghardt Lindsey Burghardt |
| author_facet | Vanitha Sampath Devon Payne-Sturges Natalie Slopen Nathaniel Harnett Nathaniel Harnett Alison G. Lee Kari Nadeau Nat Kendall Taylor Lindsey Burghardt Lindsey Burghardt |
| author_sort | Vanitha Sampath |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The frequency and severity of heat waves are expected to worsen with climate change. Exposure to extreme heat, or prolonged unusually high temperatures, are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The fetus, infant, and young child are more sensitive to higher temperatures than older children and most adults given that they are rapidly developing. During pregnancy, exposure to extreme heat may result in dehydration, inflammation, and reduced blood flow in the placenta potentially triggering preterm birth and increased rates of stillbirth and low birth weight infants. Young children experience a range of immediate health effects from heat, including disruptions in their sleep and learning, and exacerbations of asthma. Long-term impacts include lower cognitive function, reduced ability to concentrate, and adverse outcomes in mental and behavioral health. It is possible to protect children by taking steps to reduce the potential long-term harm of increasing exposure to extreme heat, such as implementing early warning systems, establishing community cooling centers, and expanding support programs to provide cooling systems to homes. Further, adapting existing infrastructure to withstand increased heat through increasing shade as well as the use of cool pavements or cool/green roofs in early care centers and other places children spend time may be efficient ways of mitigating the developmental effects of extreme heat. Finally, preventing future temperature increases by addressing the root causes behind our rapidly heating planet by decreasing use of fossil fuel and investing in renewable energy sources are ultimately needed to ensure healthy child development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e67d05df593b4019bfc97caaee9fedc9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-e67d05df593b4019bfc97caaee9fedc92025-08-25T04:10:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-08-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.16540971654097Call to action: recognize and prevent the effects of extreme heat on early childhood development and healthVanitha Sampath0Devon Payne-Sturges1Natalie Slopen2Nathaniel Harnett3Nathaniel Harnett4Alison G. Lee5Kari Nadeau6Nat Kendall Taylor7Lindsey Burghardt8Lindsey Burghardt9Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesDepartment of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesDivision of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDivision of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United StatesDepartment of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesFrameWorks Institute, Washington, DC, United StatesDepartment of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesCenter on the Developing Child at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United StatesThe frequency and severity of heat waves are expected to worsen with climate change. Exposure to extreme heat, or prolonged unusually high temperatures, are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The fetus, infant, and young child are more sensitive to higher temperatures than older children and most adults given that they are rapidly developing. During pregnancy, exposure to extreme heat may result in dehydration, inflammation, and reduced blood flow in the placenta potentially triggering preterm birth and increased rates of stillbirth and low birth weight infants. Young children experience a range of immediate health effects from heat, including disruptions in their sleep and learning, and exacerbations of asthma. Long-term impacts include lower cognitive function, reduced ability to concentrate, and adverse outcomes in mental and behavioral health. It is possible to protect children by taking steps to reduce the potential long-term harm of increasing exposure to extreme heat, such as implementing early warning systems, establishing community cooling centers, and expanding support programs to provide cooling systems to homes. Further, adapting existing infrastructure to withstand increased heat through increasing shade as well as the use of cool pavements or cool/green roofs in early care centers and other places children spend time may be efficient ways of mitigating the developmental effects of extreme heat. Finally, preventing future temperature increases by addressing the root causes behind our rapidly heating planet by decreasing use of fossil fuel and investing in renewable energy sources are ultimately needed to ensure healthy child development.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1654097/fullchildhoodhealthextreme heatpreventionadaptationmitigation |
| spellingShingle | Vanitha Sampath Devon Payne-Sturges Natalie Slopen Nathaniel Harnett Nathaniel Harnett Alison G. Lee Kari Nadeau Nat Kendall Taylor Lindsey Burghardt Lindsey Burghardt Call to action: recognize and prevent the effects of extreme heat on early childhood development and health Frontiers in Public Health childhood health extreme heat prevention adaptation mitigation |
| title | Call to action: recognize and prevent the effects of extreme heat on early childhood development and health |
| title_full | Call to action: recognize and prevent the effects of extreme heat on early childhood development and health |
| title_fullStr | Call to action: recognize and prevent the effects of extreme heat on early childhood development and health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Call to action: recognize and prevent the effects of extreme heat on early childhood development and health |
| title_short | Call to action: recognize and prevent the effects of extreme heat on early childhood development and health |
| title_sort | call to action recognize and prevent the effects of extreme heat on early childhood development and health |
| topic | childhood health extreme heat prevention adaptation mitigation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1654097/full |
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