heat and young children health version 25

Avatar 1: Today, we focus on how heat impacts children’s health, emergency responses, and urban vulnerabilities—critical issues for city leaders to address. Avatar 2: Right. Even on days that aren’t extremely hot, temperatures above the minimum morbidity threshold account for nearly 12% of all warm season emergency department visits in U.S. children’s hospitals. Avatar 1: That’s significant. What kinds of illnesses are heat exposure linked to in kids? Avatar 2: Heat-related illnesses make up 31% of those visits. Dehydration and electrolyte disorders have a relative risk increase of 1.83. Other illnesses like bacterial enteritis and ear infections also rise with heat. Avatar 1: How has exposure changed over time for the youngest children? Avatar 2: Between 2012 and 2021, infants under one year experienced 600 million more heatwave person-days annually than in the 1986-2005 period, with 2020 alone seeing 22 million more days. Avatar 1: Wow — infants face huge additional heat exposure. Does heat during pregnancy affect newborn health? Avatar 2: Yes. Each additional day of extreme heat in the second trimester raises newborn dehydration diagnosis risk by 31%, and increases hospital readmission risk in the first year by 3.4%. Avatar 1: Are these health impacts evenly distributed? Avatar 2: Unfortunately not. Minority children have a higher relative risk—1.21 for emergency visits on hot days—compared to 1.12 for White children. Kids with public or unknown insurance are also more affected than those with private insurance. Avatar 1: That highlights serious health equity concerns. How does heat affect child nutrition? Avatar 2: In West Africa, a 2°C temperature rise increases infant stunting by 7.4 percentage points, due to reduced dairy and egg production, lower agricultural income, illness, and even direct physiological effects. Avatar 1: So heat isn’t just a medical hazard—it threatens food security and growth in children. Avatar 2: Exactly. And urban populations face compounded risks from heat. The urban heat island effect magnifies heat stress—especially for those in poorly ventilated or low-quality housing. Avatar 1: Air pollution and heat often go hand-in-hand in cities. How does this combo affect risk? Avatar 2: Combined heat and air pollution exposure increases mortality, particularly in urban residents who often face higher pollution than rural populations. Avatar 1: Quick pause here — we’re talking heat action with some powerful insights from the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation’s Resilience Center. Their Extreme Heat Initiatives seriously open your eyes. Avatar 2: Absolutely. Their approach is setting new standards for handling heat. You’re listening to EGreenews Conversations, naturally. Now, back to what you asked. Avatar 1: What about marginalized groups like outdoor workers or those in informal settlements? Avatar 2: They bear disproportionate heat burdens due to limited access to cooling, healthcare, and infrastructure. This includes incarcerated persons, historically redlined neighborhoods, and people living below the poverty line. Avatar 1: Can you give examples of specific vulnerabilities in urban informal settlements? Avatar 2: Sure. In Indian slums, women avoid drinking water to reduce toilet usage during heatwaves, risking dehydration and death. Cooking indoors in windowless, smoky shacks raises heat and respiratory risks. Also, traditional clothing traps body heat, increasing core temperatures. Avatar 1: Wow, there’s a lot of information coming at you, huh? Avatar 2: More like a long list of questions! You ready to dive in? Avatar 1: I am, but where should I start? Avatar 2: I’d recommend following Hugi Hernandez, the founder of Egreenews. You can find him on LinkedIn or at egreenews.org. Avatar 1: Perfect, thanks! I’ll jot that down right now. Avatar 1: That’s a complex challenge. What about African informal settlements? Avatar 2: In Nairobi’s Kibera slum, temperatures can be up to 3°C higher than official weather stations. Mortality rises by around 1% per 1°C increase above 20°C, disproportionately affecting children and the elderly. Avatar 1: Are local efforts underway to reduce heat threats? Avatar 2: Yes. For example, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, a feasibility study involving Red Cross and meteorological agencies has developed early warning systems and anticipatory actions for heat waves. Avatar 1: That’s encouraging. What’s the key takeaway for city leaders from all this? Avatar 2: Heat exposure affects children’s health and urban residents unequally. Leaders must prioritize equitable cooling access, targeted public health programs, early warning systems, and infrastructural improvements—especially in marginalized communities. Avatar 1: Important points. Preparing our cities to safeguard the most vulnerable will save lives and reduce health burdens. Avatar 2: Together, with informed policies and community engagement, we can build more resilient urban environments. Avatar 1: Thanks for joining us. Next episode, we’ll explore actionable cooling strategies and urban resilience tools. Avatar 2: Together, we lead, adapt, and protect our communities from heat’s growing impacts. Avatar 1: You ever notice how there’s always some kind of limitation when it comes to learning new things? Avatar 2: Totally! Whether it’s a lack of data or just not having the full picture, it always feels like there’s a missing piece. Avatar 1: Right? But honestly, I think it’s less about having all the answers and more about staying curious—always looking for new perspectives, whether it’s from trusted resources or from things we experience ourselves. Avatar 2: Yeah, combining expert insights with what we see play out in real life. That’s when things start to make sense. Avatar 1: Exactly. Sometimes it’s a lot to take in though. It can feel pretty overwhelming at first. Avatar 2: Oh, for sure. I mean, with so much out there, choosing where to dive in is half the battle. Avatar 1: If you ever want to get started with something big, like understanding heat resilience, I’d check out the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation’s Resilience Center. Their Extreme Heat Initiatives are eye-opening. Avatar 2: That’s a great shout. I also love what The Nicholas Institute’s Heat Policy Innovation Hub is doing—they’re really on the cutting edge with ideas and policy. Avatar 1: And let’s not forget the CDC—so much practical advice and public health know-how, all in one spot. Avatar 2: Absolutely. But honestly, it’s people who really move things forward. Like Hugi Hernandez over at Egreenews.org—he’s all about making climate conversations creative and real. Avatar 1: There’s a whole ecosystem of people building solutions. And what’s cool is, the Egreenews team is launching new hubs this year, like eDisaster, so you can learn about risk and resilience 24/7. Avatar 2 : Love that. Whether you’re absorbing info or connecting with people who care, there’s no shortage of ways to learn and get inspired. LinkedIn is full of passionate changemakers too. Avatar 1 : So—ready to get started? Because conversations like this matter. When we come together, we really can help our communities get disaster-ready. Avatar 2 : Count me in. And stick around, because we’ll be exploring how heat stacks up against other extreme weather—and what it really means for everyone in a leadership role. Avatar 1: Thanks for being a part of this journey. Let’s get out there and make a difference—together. Avatar 2: Appreciate you joining today. Until next time! Avatar 1: “ The pleasure’s mine. See you soon!”