Children’s Environmental Health

Children are much more vulnerable to environmental health hazards than adults. This is because they have different behaviors than adults that make them more likely to come into contact with hazards. Their still growing bodies also respond differently to some hazards. Here are some examples of how their behaviors and unique physiology make children more vulnerable:  

• From birth, children breathe more air, drink more water, and eat more food relative to their body weight than adults. For example, when a child and an adult each eat the same sized piece of fruit, the child is eating a greater amount of that fruit because their body is smaller in comparison. If that fruit is contaminated with a pesticide or other contaminant, the child is also eating more of that contaminant.  
• Children also absorb more contaminants— after a meal, an adult will absorb 20% of ingested lead, whereas a toddler absorbs as much as 50%. Similarly with children’s skin, their smaller bodies mean that they absorb more of a contaminant even when exposed to the same amount as an adult. Many contaminants can cross the placenta or into breastmilk, resulting in unique pathways of exposure during vulnerable periods of early development.  
• Children depend on adults to ensure a safe environment. Children’s immune systems are still developing, which also makes them more vulnerable to environmental hazards. Early exposure to carcinogens (substances that can cause cancer such as tobacco smoke) may increase the risk of cancer in later life. 

Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures because of their changing bodies. During a typical pregnancy, women breathe in 20% more oxygen at a 40% increased rate, and their heart is working 50% harder. Those changes and more mean pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to air pollution and heat stress. Pregnancy is also a time that women are more at risk for hypertension (high blood pressure), including preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, which can impact both the pregnant woman and baby. Any exposure that impacts maternal health can have an impact on their baby’s health, especially if the exposure leads to preterm birth.  

Some examples include asthma and/or respiratory disorders, childhood cancer, congenital anomalies (birth defects), developmental disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, liver disorders, intellectual delays, neurological disorders and skin disorders. 

The PEHSU work together to address any reproductive and children’s environmental health issue that affects families and communities including safer disinfectant use; exposures to wildfire smoke, per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), lead, pesticides, and mold; and many more. To better address these issues, PEHSU work with health professionals, parents, schools, community groups, federal, state, and local government agencies, and others.