Resources for Children's Climate Health Issues
Children around the world are facing significant health risks due to climate change. This article explores various health impacts on children, including tick-borne illnesses, extreme weather, mold exposure, sea level rise, food security and availability, heat-related illnesses, water contamination, wildfire smoke, and risks related to athletes and heat exposure.
Tick-borne Illness
Although not extensively covered in the search results, climate change can expand tick habitats due to warming temperatures, increasing the risk of tick-borne diseases for children, particularly those with higher outdoor exposure and still-developing immune systems. PMC38478199
Extreme Weather
Children are highly vulnerable to health impacts from extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, storms, and heatwaves. These events cause direct physical harm and increase risks of infectious diseases, malnutrition, and psychological stress. For example, flooding has led to increased infant mortality from drowning and waterborne diseases due to contaminated water supplies in affected regions. 2, 5
Mold
Flooding and increased humidity due to climate change create conditions for mold growth indoors, which can exacerbate respiratory problems such as asthma in children, who are already more susceptible to respiratory illnesses due to developmental factors and faster air intake. 1, 2
Sea Level Rise
Rising sea levels contribute to flooding and saltwater intrusion into freshwater supplies, exacerbating water contamination and impacting safe drinking water access. This can increase diarrhoeal and other waterborne diseases in children, particularly in vulnerable socio-economic settings. 2, 3
Food Security, Availability, and Safety
Climate-driven droughts and floods reduce agricultural productivity, leading to malnutrition and food insecurity among children. Crop failures and disrupted food systems also threaten food safety, potentially increasing exposure to contaminated or spoiled food. This contributes to higher rates of child malnutrition and related health complications. 2, 3
Heat
Children are more prone to heat-related illnesses like heat stroke due to their developing thermoregulation and higher outdoor activity levels. Climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat events, which raises the risk of heat illnesses and potentially fatal outcomes. 1, 4, 5
Private Wells and Drinking Water Safety
Climate change-induced flooding and drought can contaminate private well water with pathogens and pollutants, elevating risks of diarrheal diseases and other infections in children who rely on such water sources. 2, 3
Wildfire Smoke
Increases in wildfires result in poor air quality through higher levels of smoke and particulates. Children’s faster breathing rates and developing lungs make them particularly susceptible to asthma exacerbations, respiratory infections, and other cardiovascular issues from smoke exposure. 1, 5
Water Contamination
Floods and extreme weather events overwhelm sewage systems and contaminate water supplies with fecal matter and pollutants, increasing diarrhoeal diseases in children, a major cause of child mortality in many low- and middle-income regions. 2, 3
Athletes and Heat
Child athletes face elevated risks of heat illness during increased heatwaves. Their outdoor activities combined with vulnerability to heat stress and dehydration require special consideration for prevention and protection measures amid climate change. 1, 4
Addressing these risks requires integrating child health considerations into aggressive climate adaptation and public health strategies. 1, 2, 5
- Warmer temperatures due to climate change can expand tick habitats, increasing the risk of tick-borne diseases in children, particularly those with higher outdoor exposure and less developed immune systems. [land, water, cleanup, health-and-wellness, climate-change, environmental-science]
- Climate change leads to an increase in extreme weather events, such as flooding, storms, and heatwaves, which cause direct physical harm to children and increase risks of infectious diseases, malnutrition, and psychological stress. [land, water, health-and-wellness, climate-change, environmental-science]
- Climate change-induced flooding and humidity create conditions for mold growth indoors, exacerbating respiratory problems like asthma in children, who are already more susceptible to respiratory illnesses. [land, water, health-and-wellness, climate-change, environmental-science]
- Rising sea levels due to climate change can contribute to water contamination and saltwater intrusion into freshwater supplies, impacting safe drinking water access and increasing diarrheal and other waterborne diseases. [land, water, health-and-wellness, climate-change, environmental-science, drinking water]
