A recent study published in “Academic Pediatrics” by UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas has revealed a significant increase in the number of children seeking medical care due to heat-related illnesses during the summer months. Nearly one-fifth of these children required hospitalization.
The study looked at data from the Children’s Health emergency departments in Dallas and Plano from May to September each year between 2012 and 2023. The researchers found a 170% increase in heat-related emergency visits, showing a close correlation between rising temperatures and the surge in medical consultations.
Dr. Andrew Yu, lead researcher and pediatric hospitalist at Children’s Health, as well as assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern, noted, “With increasingly frequent extreme heat waves, we are seeing a rise in cases of children suffering from heat-related illnesses.”
Heat-related illnesses encompass conditions like minor heat cramps, fainting, heatstroke, heat exhaustion, and rhabdomyolysis. The latter is a severe and potentially deadly muscle breakdown syndrome caused by prolonged, excessive physical activity in high temperatures.
Previous studies mainly focused on adults or high school athletes, leaving a gap in understanding how heat affects young children. Due to their physiological and behavioral characteristics, children are more vulnerable to heat stress because of their relatively large body surface area, lower sweat rate, and difficulties in recognizing their need for rest and hydration.
Dr. Taylor Merritt, the first author of the research and a third-year pediatric hospitalist at UT Southwestern and Children’s Health, stated, “This study provides more evidence of the risks extreme heat poses to children’s health, aiding us in understanding the burden and developing future prevention strategies.”
He emphasized, “By analyzing trends and demographic patterns, this study alerts healthcare providers and caregivers to high-risk populations, allowing for more effective protection of children’s health.”
The researchers analyzed over 2 million emergency department records, with more than 500 cases related to high temperatures, sun exposure, or rhabdomyolysis. Due to the distinct nature of rhabdomyolysis compared to other heat-related illnesses, it was separately examined.
Some key findings from the study include:
Children living in “opportunity-deprived communities,” lacking quality schools, parks, playgrounds, clean air, healthy food, medical services, and safe housing, faced more severe impacts.
63% of children with rhabdomyolysis required hospitalization.
96% of other heat-related illness patients were able to be discharged after emergency treatment.
Compared to rhabdomyolysis patients, children with other heat-related illnesses were more likely to be under 12 years old, Hispanic, have government insurance, or come from extremely impoverished communities.
The research team noted that further investigation is needed into environmental factors in communities such as tree canopy coverage and urban heat island effects to understand their impact on children’s susceptibility to heat-related illnesses.