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Climate Change and Heat: Challenges for Child Health Outcomes and Inequities

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

As temperatures rise from human-driven climate change, adverse health outcomes will become more prominent, especially in children. Heat worsens other aspects of climate change in a vicious cycle, including air and water pollution, extreme weather events, and resource scarcity. These health outcomes are already magnified in minoritized communities globally, due to systems of power and oppression. This review summarizes research on pediatric health consequences of heat, and explores structural factors driving heat-related health inequity.

Recent Findings

There is growing literature on heat-related impacts on disease-specific outcomes that can generally be categorized by organ system. There already exists robust extra-medical literature on drivers of heat inequity in urban, rural, and global communities.

Summary

Heat impacts pediatric health across organ systems, especially as the population becomes more medically complex. This review can guide further research in pediatric-specific outcomes and emphasizes the need for multidisciplinary, community-centered efforts to mitigate health inequity in heat and climate change.

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Data Availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their expertise and review of the manuscript: Indi Trehan, MD, MPH, DTM and H; Jonathan Cogen, MD, MPH; Alexandra Perkins, MD, MPH; Zho Ragen, PhD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Angela Y. Zhang, Mary Beth Bennett, Simona Martin & H. Mollie Grow

  2. Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA

    Angela Y. Zhang, Mary Beth Bennett, Simona Martin & H. Mollie Grow

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  1. Angela Y. Zhang
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  2. Mary Beth Bennett
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  3. Simona Martin
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  4. H. Mollie Grow
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Contributions

A.Y.Z., M.B.B., and S.M. wrote the main manuscript text. A.Y.Z. prepared Tables 1 and 2, and Fig. 1. H.M.G.G. provided supervision and direction. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Angela Y. Zhang.

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Zhang, A.Y., Bennett, M.B., Martin, S. et al. Climate Change and Heat: Challenges for Child Health Outcomes and Inequities. Curr Pediatr Rep (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-024-00314-w

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