Paediatrics
What world do we want for our next generation?
How Is Climate Change Affecting Child Health?
Children and young people are amongst the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Whether through increased susceptibility to air pollution for developing lungs, or increased risk of death and ill heath from dehydration during heatwaves or water-borne illness secondary to flooding, children are likely to suffer the most severely from a changing climate.
As our future generation, the children and young people of today are on track to inherit much of the damaging effects of climate change leading to up to 75% of children and young people reporting of eco-distress or anxiety.
If we are unable to reverse or limit the trend of global warming the paediatric patients of today are set to inherit a world of food and housing insecurity, leading to poorer health outcomes in adulthood, and increased child mortality in generations of the future.
Thousands suffer and die from air pollution every year, but only one person in the world has air pollution as a cause of death on her certificate. Click below to read more
How Is Paediatric Medicine Affecting Climate Change?
The way we deliver Paediatric care today has an impact on climate change.
Paediatricians are key prescribers of aerosol metered dose inhalers (MDIs) preferred for Paediatric patients over dry powder inhalers that require ability to coordinate breath with administering the medication. MDIs such as are significant contributor to medicinal carbon footprint of the NHS. When disposed incorrectly by being thrown in a general waste bin, potent greenhouse gases within the inhaler are released into the atmosphere, contributing directly to climate change. It is estimated around 70% of inhalers are thrown before they are fully empty. In addition, many children with viral induced wheeze and asthma present frequently to paediatric wards and may obtain unnecessary repeat prescriptions of inhalers despite long shelf life of these medications.
Care for children with complex medical needs if often centralised to large tertiary units in cities, which can lead to many having to travel significant distances to receive specialist care. Neonatal care is similarly centralised and carries high environmental cost in terms of equipment and energy requirements to run the units. This specialty can disproportionately contribute to waste as well, especially due to the use of adult-based machines for reading blood samples or gases which can lead to increased blood transfusion rates.
Whilst survival for premature infants has improved considerably in recent years, prematurity can lead to further ill health in childhood, which also adversely contribute to the environmental costs of healthcare.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH)
RCPCH has extensive resources on the relationship between climate change and child health, along with ideas on how to reduce the environmental impact of paediatric care.
Discussion Ideas with Patients and Colleagues
Patients:
"“We would like to prescribe a different inhaler brand which contains the same medication but is less harmful for environment. Are you happy for your child to try this?"
"Now that you are older, you may be able to take a dry powder version of your inhaler. It may feel different at first but should work the same way, and it has the added benefit of being better for the environment. Would you be happy to give it a try, and we can discuss how you feel at your next review?"
Colleagues
"What are the areas of waste within our department and what steps can we take to minimise this?"
"How could we improve links and access to specialist input on a local level to provide one-stop clinics to patients with multiple needs and requiring MDT support?"
Highest impact actions for Paediatric Departments
Embed climate change and healthcare sustainability into educational and governance activities
Address sources of waste - e.g. procedural skills, blood sampling frequency and volume including point of care testing, resuscitator heaters and lighting being left on
Focus on prevention of ill health including optimal antenatal management and early postnatal care
Liaise with local and national organisations to advocate for addressing air pollution and it’s impact on child health
For More Information
Check out "Kids Against Plastic", an environmental advocacy organisation set up by kids, for kids, to empower children to take action against climate change.
Have a look at Our Health, Our Planet's pages on Advice for Young People and Advice for Parents