In 2015, the American Academy of Pediatrics was the first major U.S. medical society to release a policy statement on the impacts of climate change on health. With help from U.T. Austin climate scientist, Dr. Geeta Persad, this primer episode answers the question, “what do pediatricians need to know about climate change?”

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this episode, pediatric residents will be able to…

1)    Demonstrate a foundational understanding of the evidence behind anthropogenic global climate change

2)    Interpret the relationship between industrial emissions, carbon dioxide, and ambient planetary temperature

This podcast was published in the hottest year on earth in recorded history. What does this mean for child health? How can we as pediatricians help protect the most heat-vulnerable in our communities?  

Learning Objectives: By the end of this episode, pediatric residents will be able to…

1)    Describe the relationship between rising ambient temperature and its effects on pediatric health

2)    Differentiate between mild, moderate, and severe heat-related illness

3)    Describe how urban heat islands disproportionately affect areas of lower socioeconomic status

4)    Illustrate the growing threat of wildfires in the United States

On June 7, 2023, New York City was blanketed in wildfire smoke, and ranked as the worst air quality of any major city in the world. On November 21, 2016, the city of Melbourne, Australia weathered a twelve hour thunderstorm that triggered a 1000% spike in respiratory emergencies. With the help of U.T. Austin pediatric allergist Dr. Elizabeth Matsui, we take a deep breath and plunge into the impacts of climate change on the very air we breathe.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this episode, pediatric residents will be able to…

1)     Review the effects of climate change on air quality and subsequent pediatric respiratory disease

2)     Discuss the impact of wildfire smoke on respiratory illness/exacerbations

3)     Define the relationship between ground-level ozone and asthma exacerbations

4)     Explain the effect of climate change on pollen biomass and allergic rhinitis

Malaria cases in the United States are increasing and Lyme Disease cases are appearing as far west as Michigan. Is climate change to blame or are there other factors at play?  With insights from U.T. Austin pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Nael Mhaissen, we don a pair of nitrile gloves and get up and close with microbes and the vectors that bear them. 

Learning Objective: By the end of this episode, pediatric residents will be able to recognize the relationship between a warming climate and the geographical spread of vector-borne disease such as malaria and Lyme Disease, as well as non-vector-borne infectious agents such as diarrheal illness and fungal infections.

In this episode, U.T. Austin pediatric emergency medicine physician Dr. Matthew Wilkinson shares lessons learned practicing medicine amidst flooding, tropical storms, and freezing temperatures.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this episode, pediatric residents will be able to…

1)    Describe the short- and long-term risks of extreme weather 

2)    List the ways in which healthcare systems can prepare for extreme weather disasters

The term, “solastalgia” was coined by Australian philosopher, Glenn Albrecht, and it refers to the homesickness we feel when the world around us is changing. More than ever, today’s young people are feeling the mental stressors of climate change. 

Learning Objectives: By the end of this episode, pediatric residents will be able to…

             1) List the short- and long-term effects of climate change on mental health

             2) Recall interactions between antipsychotic medications and thermoregulation

             3) Recognize and counsel patients on eco-anxiety 

Hippocrates is commonly credited with the phrase, “primum non nocere.” In this final episode, we explore the big and little ways that pediatricians can alter their practice to care for both the earth and its future inhabitants.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the course, pediatric residents will be able to…

1) Articulate the impact of healthcare systems on climate           

2) List examples of ways in which pediatricians can help mitigate climate change in the workplace