Environmental issues have long been framed in terms of the world Earth's residents will "leave behind" for children, but that lens has become outdated.

A new report by The Nation focused on the very real effects the overheating planet has already had on Brazil's youngest children, babies, and toddlers, already deeply rattled by climate-related chaos.

What's happening?

According to the humanitarian organization and charity Oxfam, Brazil and its South American neighbors don't even make the list of the nations most affected by the warming world.

The Nation's reporting from Brazil makes that even more alarming, given what the parents and children profiled have endured in a scant few years. 

Patricia dos Santos lives in Alvarães, in the state of Amazonas, and the article opened with the extremely tense story of the birth of her daughter, Luna. The daughter of a renowned midwife, dos Santos planned to have her baby at home but experienced last-minute complications.

In September 2023, Alvarães was in a severe drought, cutting off dos Santos' path to urgently needed medical attention and forcing her to endure a risky, hour-long motorcycle ride on a dirt road with her grandmother on the back of the bike.

Luna was delivered by C-section. At just one year old, she had to accompany her mother along the same route to obtain food amid dangerously high temperatures as drought again ravaged the region and drove prices skyward.

Raphaela Cunha Brito's son, Manu, was born under similarly tumultuous circumstances, after floods destroyed entire neighborhoods. Cunha Brito suffered a urinary tract infection after encountering floodwaters during a rescue, and Manu spent 10 days in intensive care as a result. 

Isabeli, Manu's older sister, is only four, but she's now terrified of rain. 

"I have a book at home about Miami, with pictures of the ocean. When she sees it, she points and says, 'flood,'" Manu's godmother, Victória Cosner, said.

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Why is this important?

Floods and droughts are forms of extreme weather, and they are made worse by higher temperatures and warming seas worldwide.

Though floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts have always occurred, evaporation driven by hotter air and water intensifies these events.

Extreme weather is deadlier, costlier, and more destructive than standard weather, but Brazil's children are evidence that the damage goes beyond that. 

As The Nation noted, pregnancy and the first year of a child's life are incredibly significant in terms of development, and early difficulties can become lifelong challenges. The adverse effects of prenatal stress are well-documented.

Marcia Castro, head of the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard University, cited additional risks introduced by climate instability.

"Some of these climate effects can trigger inflammatory processes, can cause changes in the child's body that will have consequences in adulthood and old age, associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity. These diseases are actually the main causes of death not only in Brazil but worldwide," Castro warned.

What's being done about it?

Awareness of key climate issues is a critical step to addressing the impacts of extreme weather.

Discussing these threats with family and friends also helps ensure more people are informed.

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