Climate change affects children’s development in different ways and extreme heat is a crucial factor that must be kept in mind. Last year – 2023 – was estimated to be the hottest year on record, ever since temperatures began to be recorded. Heat waves are occurring with greater frequency and lasting for longer periods of time. We are experiencing much higher temperatures than 100 years ago. While the impacts of climate change on health and the risks to the elderly and people with chronic diseases have been more widely studied, the impact on offspring’s health and development during a mother’s pregnancy and in early childhood have traditionally received much less attention. A recent report from the Center on the Developing Child of Harvard University shows the effects on different aspects of development and possible strategies to mitigate these effects. Below we summarize the main findings.
Pregnant Women and Children Are Particularly Vulnerable to Extreme Heat
Exposure to high temperatures causes the human body to activate thermoregulatory mechanisms in order to maintain internal body temperature within safe limits. But when situations of extreme thermal stress are sustained over prolonged periods, organ dysfunction can occur, such as the rupture of protective proteins and increased heart rate, which can affect other biological systems, such as the brain, intestines, and heart.
Pregnant women face even higher risks when exposed to extreme heat. It can reduce the capacity for blood to flow through the placenta, cause inflammation in the immunological system, and increase the risk of dehydration. These mechanisms increase the probability of stillbirths as well as premature and lower birth weight babies, which in turn can impact the infant’s development and quality of life. For example, the effects of extreme heat can induce cognitive impairment, and chronic health problems, such as diabetes.
Children respond differently to extreme heat. Because their bodies are smaller, their temperature rises more quickly and, in extreme events, they have less capacity to release heat via sweating. In addition, they cannot seek out cooler conditions or get water by themselves; they depend entirely on the help they receive from their caregivers. This extra degree of vulnerability can generate overheating, which can quickly lead to the breakdown of muscle tissue, renal insufficiency, convulsions, comatose states, or even death.
Additionally, according to the report, extreme heat can cause long-term interruptions in early childhood development in three ways:
- Learning loss during primary school years: Heat is associated with slower reaction times, reduced concentration ability, and slower cognitive function. Multiple studies have shown that when the temperature in the classroom rises, students’ performance drops.
- Quality of sleep: A research study on a six-day extreme heat wave in the United Kingdom showed that during the heat wave, children took longer to fall asleep, slept fewer hours, woke up more often, and had a higher number of visits from the parents. Getting enough quality sleep is essential for satisfactory development. In fact, insufficient sleep has been associated with child obesity, disrupted language development, and reduced problem-solving capacity.
- Mental and behavioral health: In response to extreme heat, children’s brains activate their stress response system. Excessive activation of the stress response system at this sensitive stage can disrupt the development of emotional regulation circuits, crucial for the individual’s well-being, social coexistence, and later, successful incorporation into the labor market.
Existing inequalities between higher-income and lower-income populations aggravate the impact of heat waves on early childhood development. Differences in living conditions for children in poorer families (housing conditions, availability of cooling mechanisms, amount of available green space, etc.) amplify the effects of extreme heat for these children. All these individual factors grow worse when combined with the systemic factors affected by extreme heat shocks (air pollution, shortages of drinking water, food shortages, etc.).
Strategies to Mitigate the Effects of Extreme Heat on Childhood Development
Efforts to combat the main causes of climate change (generation of energy based on fossil fuel, deforestation, etc.) will help mitigate the increase in extreme temperatures, and consequently, their effects on child health and well-being. But there are also adaptive strategies that countries and cities can implement. The report from the Center on the Developing Child recommends:
- Ensure cooling options (air conditioning, air evaporation, heat sinks) in daycare and preschool centers where children spend much of their time, with clean, accessible, and reliable energy sources.
- Adapt social infrastructure and urban planning so that building materials, paving and vegetation levels help lower temperatures and provide shaded areas.
- Implement community plans involving local governments, health systems, and other relevant actors and agencies to map and protect those at greatest risk.
Such efforts require a commitment from us all. It is important to ensure that parenting programs for families and care programs in centers incorporate good practices for regulating children’s temperature. This can be accomplished, for example, by suggesting techniques to keep babies hydrated and cool (use light clothing and bath frequently), monitoring to detect overheating, and conditioning of sleeping places, etc.
Did you know that extreme heat can affect not only children’s health but also other areas of their development such as learning, behavior and sleep quality? What ideas can you come up with to help protect our youngest from extreme heat?
Leave a Reply