Climate change has raised preterm birth risk by 60%, causing lasting problems for millions. The University of Western Australia says global action will harm children’s health for years.
New research shows that climate change-induced high temperatures will increase preterm birth risk by 60%, causing permanent difficulties for millions of infants. Researchers found that climate change will directly cause increased respiratory diseases and hospitalizations in children, based on 163 global health studies.
Climate change denial would likely harm children’s health for generations, according to academics from The University of Western Australia.
They claimed their Science of the Total Environment study was the first to gather all the scientific evidence on climate change’s health effects on children.
The study also identified which climate-driven events caused specific health effects in future generations.
“Cold extremes cause respiratory diseases, while drought and extreme rainfall can stunt growth,” stated research author Corey Bradshaw from Flinders University, Australia.
The team claimed majority of the papers they examined were in high-income nations, even though children in lower-income countries are most likely to lack healthcare, infrastructure, and food.
Their study found that climate change would affect children’s health even in sophisticated economies, while health risks differed by continent and socioeconomic status.
Climate change affects childhood disease, thus social and financial costs will rise, putting pressure on families and health services.
“For example, asthma has been estimated to cost as much as USD 1.5 billion due to a single fire season in the future, while another study estimated the costs of a single case of childhood asthma at up to USD 23,573 in the coming years,” Bradshaw stated.
Climate change’s health effects depended on geography, researchers found.
Extreme temperatures have increased preterm births on Australia’s East Coast, Northern Territory, and Western Australia and respiratory difficulties in Queensland, but they have also increased mortality in South Africa.
To safeguard present and future children, lead researcher Lewis Weeda from The University of Western Australia said public health initiatives to combat these climate-related diseases and limit anthropogenic climate change are needed.
Solutions and climate adaptation and mitigation measures would benefit many UN Sustainable Development Goals. Weeda said climate change affects all nations and individuals, and we must prepare for growing child health hazards.
Conclusion
Extreme temperatures caused by climate change would increase preterm birth by 60%, causing permanent difficulties for millions of children. The University of Western Australia discovered that climate change will directly cause more respiratory infections and hospitalizations in children. Lack of global climate action will undoubtedly harm children’s health for generations. The Science of the Total Environment research was the first to gather all the scientific evidence on climate change’s health consequences on children.
