Ensuring children’s safety during extreme heat

As heat waves grow more severe and common throughout the U.S., experts convened for a Harvard webinar focused on safeguarding children’s health during rising temperatures.

“Severe heat is truly one of the most perilous yet also one of the least acknowledged threats to proper development,” stated Lindsey Burghardt, chief science officer at Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, which facilitated the discussion.

Burghardt noted that extreme heat correlates with premature births, low birth weights, sleep disruptions, educational obstacles, and adverse effects on mental well-being.

“Understanding these outcomes is essential,” she emphasized. “They have immediate repercussions in childhood, but they can also influence children’s lives long-term. This highlights the urgency of intervention.”

The Environmental Protection Agency defines extreme heat days as those when outside temperatures surpass 95 degrees Fahrenheit. It includes times when temperatures do not drop significantly, even overnight. Based on EPA data, such heat waves are increasing in frequency and intensity.

Joining Burghardt during the discussion was Michelle Kang, chief executive officer for the National Association for the Education of Young Children. She mentioned that her organization has collaborated with Harvard’s Graduate School of Education to evaluate the impact of climate change on education and childcare practices nationwide.

“Ideally, you would be able to take children outside for that gross motor activity — the crucial moments when they can expend energy,” she explained. “However, if there’s insufficient shade, and temperatures are high and rising, then taking children outside becomes impossible. This alters the daily learning environment and adds strain on educators to ensure the safety of their students.”

From feedback gathered during sessions with members of her organization, Kang indicated that educators nationwide face varying levels of support to keep children cool amid increasingly hot spring and summer periods. For instance, many school facilities lack proper air conditioning or adequate insulation to combat extreme heat.

Another contributor, Jennifer Vanos, associate professor in the School of Sustainability and the College of Global Futures at Arizona State University, pointed out that many schools also lack appropriate indoor play areas.

Vanos remarked that outdoor playgrounds can morph into small heat islands — regions that heighten hazardous heat levels.

“It ultimately depends on individual schools and their environments. What are their indoor and outdoor conditions? Some institutions feature excellent shaded designs that remain safe for play even in slightly warmer weather,” she said. “Some schools are better equipped to handle it than others.”

During extreme heat situations, it’s crucial for caregivers and educators to oversee playtime.

“Children are eager to continue playing,” she noted. “If we don’t intervene in time, you’ll begin to notice an increase in heart rate, as their bodies work to pump blood to the skin to dissipate heat. You’ll also observe a rise in sweat production.”

Since children possess fewer sweat glands than adults, they cannot dissipate heat as effectively, Vanos explained. When they begin to sweat, their internal temperature is already nearing dangerous levels.

“If you notice their temperature exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit, it significantly raises the risk of heat stroke or, if they are exerting themselves, potentially lead to exertional heat stroke or heat exhaustion,” she stated.

In the most severe circumstances of extreme heat exposure, the body could experience multiple organ failure, necessitating hospitalization. Though this can occur swiftly, Vanos added that there are warning signs indicating it’s time to cool down.

“Every child is unique, and we must identify which ones have potential pre-existing factors such as certain medications or illnesses that elevate their risk compared to others,” she remarked. “We need to determine specific intervention points — what they are and how we can protect children’s safety.”