Extreme heat and heatwaves are linked to the risk of unintentional child injuries in Guangzhou city

This study underscores the significant implications of non-fatal unintentional injuries among children attributable to climate change. Here the authors quantified the years lived with disability (YLD) due to unintentional child injuries in Guangzhou from 2016-2020 using the injury surveillance data. A Poisson regression model was employed to explore how various magnitudes of heat exposure could increase the injury burden in different children's subgroups.

The study suggests a notable 12.5-17.1% escalation in the non-fatal burden of unintentional injuries among children during various magnitudes of heat events. Remarkably, the researchers observed higher vulnerability to heat exposure among girls and preschoolers, and found higher risks for heatwave-related road accidents. These findings may shed light on how to protect children living in subtropical regions against heat exposure.