Climate change and pediatric disabilities

Climate change disproportionately affects children due to their unique physiological, developmental, and social vulnerabilities. Among them, children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) face compounding risks resulting from pre-existing health conditions, limited mobility, dependence on assistive devices, and systemic barriers to health care and social support. This chapter explores how climate change intersects with childhood development and disability, beginning with the perinatal period, where prenatal exposure to extreme heat, air pollution, and nutritional stress can result in preterm birth, congenital anomalies, and neurodevelopmental challenges. The chapter additionally examines specific pediatric disabilities, including cerebral palsy and spina bifida; highlighting how these conditions amplify children's susceptibility during climate-related events. It further discusses the impact of climate change on children with cognitive and psychological disabilities, emphasizing the heightened risks of trauma, anxiety, and exclusion in emergency planning and response. There is a final call for urgent integration of disability-inclusive approaches in climate adaptation, health systems strengthening, and policy development to protect and empower this often overlooked population in a rapidly changing world.