A pediatrician's guide to climate change-informed primary care

Rebecca Pass Philipsborn, Julia Cowenhoven, Aparna Bole, Sophie J. Balk, Aaron Bernstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Despite the urgency of the climate crisis and mounting evidence linking climate change to child health harms, pediatricians do not routinely engage with climate change in the office. Each primary care visit offers opportunities to screen for and support children burdened with risks to health that are increasingly intense due to climate change. Routine promotion of healthy behaviors also aligns with some needed—and powerful—solutions to the climate crisis. For some patients, including those engaged in athletics, those with asthma and allergies, or those with complex healthcare needs, preparedness for environmental risks and disasters worsened by climate change is a critical component of disease prevention and management. For all patients, anticipatory guidance topics that are already mainstays of pediatric best practices are related closely to needed guidance to keep children safe and promote health in the setting of compounding risks due to climate change. By considering climate change in routine care, pediatricians will be updating practice to align with evidence-based literature and better serving patients. This article provides a framework for pediatricians to provide climate-informed primary care during the structure of pediatric well child and other visits.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number101027
JournalCurrent Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care
Volume51
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health

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