New Report Highlights Effects of Extreme Heat on Child Development
In 2024, Harvard University’s Center of the Developing Child published a working paper called “Extreme Heat Affects Child Development and Health.” With the ever worsening heat exposure which our communities are experiencing, there is growing concern for populations that are particularly vulnerable to this specific environmental stressor. This working paper identifies young children as one of these vulnerable populations whose health and wellness we should prioritize for their long-term well-being as well as the long-term well-being of our communities as a whole.
Click Here to Access Report
The paper notes that the bodies of young children have not yet fully developed their ability to regulate body temperature so they are not able to manage extreme heat as effectively. Because the bodies of young children are so small, they absorb heat at a much more rapid rate. Thus careful monitoring is of the essence. Young children are also dependent on adults to detect and address extreme heat exposure since they are less capable of independently removing themselves from the heat and of getting water for themselves to cool off. Young children and adolescents with chronic health conditions are also at greater risk of heat related illness.
Prolonged exposure to extreme heat affects our physiology in numerous ways (adults and children alike). If we do not remove ourselves from exposure to extreme heat, then the brain may be affected. Since the body is trying to cool itself off, it is not focusing the resources that may be needed to cool off the brain. If the brain cannot cool itself then cognitive and emotional functioning may become affected. The immune system is also affected in cases of extreme heat because the proteins that the body creates to help mitigate the impacts of heat exposure begin to break down over time. The immune system attacks these “foreign” substances and, in doing so, may not be as prepared to fight off the body’s exposure to other infections or viruses. Failing to drink a sufficient amount of water can lead to dehydration that can cause a physiological response that may increase the likelihood of heart failure, kidney disfunction, muscle cramps and low oxygen in the blood for some individuals.
Such effects are compounded for infants, young children and pregnant women. For pregnant women, extreme heat exposure may cause blood flow in the body to slow and may reduce the level of oxygen in the blood, thus affecting the fetus’ access to these vital things. There is evidence that during times of high temperatures, still births and premature births are more likely, as are infants being born at lower birth weights. The working paper also notes that infants and young children do not sweat as much and cannot depend on this method to regulate body temperature to the same degree as adults. Excessive exposure to heat for young children may lead to “muscle breakdown, kidney failure, seizure, coma or even death in extreme cases.”
The paper also highlights the fact that prolonged exposure to heat can disrupt development in a variety of ways. Because excessive heat affects cognitive functioning, it may affect the rate of cognitive development as well as the ability of children to concentrate. A child may have trouble sleeping if the sleep environment is too hot. Sleep deficits have been shown to expose children to a variety of adverse challenges as they mature. Finally, excessive heat may be viewed by the body as a “threat to well-being” thus causing a stress response. An overactivated stress response systems in children can disrupt the development of systems that help to regulate emotions in a healthy way.
The report also outlines strategies to help mitigate the impact of excessive heat in two strands. The first strand involves addressing broad environmental concerns and structural disadvantages. Climate change has led to increased global temperatures which in turn is negatively affecting air quality and the availability of nutritious food. Structural barriers that exist in many urban communities have led to outsized heat-related impacts in certain neighborhoods which are often low-income communities and/or communities of color. These communities may be in a hotter part of the city, and they also may have less access to ways that one might use to stay cool (access to air conditioning, pools, green space, etc.).
The second strand of strategies and actions shared in the report come from lessons learned in other communities that have had demonstrated success in addressing the effects of excessive heat. The strategies that we should consider undertaking include:
- Consider where people spend time during pregnancy and childhood.
- Improve structural cooling options.
- Install air conditioning and other cooling mechanisms.
- Provide support for affordable, reliable access to the power grid.
- Develop heat action plans.”
(bullet points are direct quotes from pages 10 and 11 of the working paper)
Our local community has placed an emphasis on the above-listed strategies, but it is good practice to revisit these matters on a regular basis to see what else may be done or what we may have missed.
I’ll end by noting that in a recent edition of the “Policy Q&A” series of Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, they profiled efforts being undertaken in the City of Boston to protect young children from extreme heat. They held a series of roundtables on how to mitigate the impacts of heat on children. These roundtable discussion were facilitated by the Office of Early Childhood that was established by the City of Boston in 2022. These dialogues led to the implementation of strategies for addressing the “heat islands” within the city (i.e., neighborhoods that tend to experience hotter temperatures). The initiatives that have been developed have the aim of “Keeping Kids Cool.” The main areas of focus for this initiative are ensuring that each community has access to “cool public spaces,” “cool childcare facilities,” and “cool homes.”
Click Here to learn more about the efforts being undertaken in Boston to address this issue.
Raul Alvarez, CAN Executive Director