Two surveys released this month warn about the effects of extreme weather on children. One of them is a survey commissioned by the Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation to Datafolha: more than 80% of Brazilians fear the effects of climate change on babies and children aged 0 to 6 years.
The study Panorama da Primeira Infância: o impacto da crise climática interviewed 2,206 people, including 822 guardians of children, between April 8 and 10, 2025. The greatest fears focus on health impacts: 7 out of 10 people (71%) expressed this type of concern, with emphasis on respiratory diseases.
Other issues raised by 39% of respondents were the greater risk of disasters (such as floods, droughts, and wildfires), in addition to difficulty accessing clean water and food (32% of responses).
According to the study, 15% believe that climate change will bring greater environmental awareness and 6% trust that society will find solutions to reduce the damage.
“Seeing that the population recognizes the risk children face is already a victory — it means we understand who is on the front lines of the crisis and that there is urgency to act. Children in early childhood are the least guilty for the climate emergency and yet are the most affected group. This injustice demands that every measure taken considers the vulnerability of those who depend on adult protection,” said Mariana Luz, director of the Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation.
Infant Mortality
The other study corroborates the population’s concern. It was conducted by scientists from the Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (Cidacs/Fiocruz Bahia), the Collective Health Institute (ISC) of the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), the London School, and the Barcelona Institute of Global Health.
Published in the journal Environmental Research, the research indicates that newborns in the neonatal period (7 to 27 days) are the most affected by cold, with a 364% higher risk of dying in extreme conditions compared to normal conditions. Regarding heat, the impact increases as the child ages, being 85% higher in extreme heat among those aged 1 to 4 years.
The researchers analyzed more than 1 million deaths of children under 5 years old over 20 years. The mortality risk in this age group reached up to 95% higher in extreme cold and 29% higher in extreme heat than on days with mild temperatures (around 14 to 21°C).
The research was based on data from the Mortality Information System (SIM) of the Unified Health System (SUS) and the Brazil Daily Weather Gridded Dataset (BR-DWGD).
Professor at ISC/UFBA and Cidacs collaborator Ismael Silveira explains that international studies already indicated that young children are more vulnerable to extreme weather. But there was little evidence in countries with tropical climates.
“Brazil has continental dimensions and strong socioeconomic inequality, making it a ‘natural laboratory’ to investigate climate impacts. The coverage and quality of death records and the use of robust statistical methods helped overcome this gap,” says Silveira.
Children are more vulnerable to temperature changes because their bodies have not yet fully developed thermal regulation mechanisms. On the hottest days, risks include heatstroke, dehydration, kidney problems, respiratory and infectious diseases. In the cold, hypothermia can trigger respiratory and metabolic complications and favor infections.
Brazil shows regional variations in climate impacts. The data indicate that mortality of children under five related to cold reached the highest increase (117%) in the South of the country. Mortality related to heat was highest in the Northeast (102%).
High rates of child deaths continue concentrated in the North, Northeast, and Central-West regions. These regions have greater socioeconomic vulnerability and worse access to basic infrastructure, such as sanitation and adequate housing. Rising temperatures pose an additional threat.
Source: Agência Brasil