2023 Symposium on Heat: Impacts on Children and Pregnancy

Please join OEHHA and the Children’s Environmental Health Center for a virtual symposium series exploring the effects of heat on children and during pregnancy. This highly interactive four-session symposium will cover physiologic considerations for children and pregnancy, strategies to combat health effects in children and during pregnancy, and important considerations for these populations in the development of heat health warning systems.

Following the sessions, this page will be updated with the links to the recorded videos.

Session 1 (Pediatrics), Wednesday April 5, 11:15-12:45pm

Pediatric physiology and the epidemiology of heat health effects in children

Bios of Session 1 Speakers

Recording of Session 1

Symposium Series Welcome:

Lauren Zeise, PhD
Director, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA),
California EPA

Introduction:

Stephanie M Holm, MD PhD MPH
Public Health Medical Officer, OEHHA, California EPA

Pediatric Physiologic Considerations for Responding to Heat

Pediatric Physiologic Considerations for Responding to Heat
Caroline J Smith, PhD
Associate Professor at Appalachian State University

Prevention of Heat Related Illness In The Pediatric Population
Robert Huggins, PhD, LAT, ATC
President of Research and Athlete Performance and Safety at the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut

Clinical Perspective and Epidemiology of Health Effects of Heat in Children

Heat, Child Health and Health Equity
Aaron Bernstein, MD, MPH
Interim Director of the Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment at Harvard, Pediatric Hospitalist at Boston Children’s

The When + Who affects What Happens
Perry Sheffield, MD MPH
Associate Professor in the Departments of Environmental Medicine and Public Health and Pediatrics, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Panel Moderated by Dr. Holm

Session 2 (Pregnancy), Wednesday April 26, 10:15-11:45pm

Pregnancy physiology and the epidemiology of heat health effects in pregnant people

Bios of Session 2 Speakers

Recording of Session 2

Introduction:

Mark D Miller, MD MPH
Public Health Medical Officer, OEHHA, California EPA

Pregnancy Physiologic Considerations for Responding to Heat

Ana Bonell, MBChB DTMH MSc MRCP FRCA
Clinician and Research fellow at London School of Hygiene and tropical medicine

Ambient Heat Exposure & Adverse Birth Outcomes in California

Rupa Basu, PhD MPH
Chief of Air and Climate Epidemiology section, California EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)

Clinical Perspective on Heat in Pregnancy

Marya Zlatnik, MD
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California San Francisco

Panel Moderated by Dr. Miller

Session 3 (Strategies), Wednesday June 7, 11:15-12:45pm

Strategies to combat health effects of heat in children and during pregnancy

Bios of Session 3 Speakers

Recording of Session 3

Introduction:

Stephanie M Holm, MD PhD MPH
Public Health Medical Officer, OEHHA, California EPA

Strategies to combat extreme heat for children and pregnant people

Kristie Ebi, MS PhD
Professor and Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington

School and play area interventions to decrease health effects of heat

Jennifer Vanos, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Sustainability, College of Global Futures, Arizona State University

Local public health perspective on responding to heat for children and pregnant people

Savannah North, MPH
Director of Administration and Climate Initiatives, Public Health Alliance of Southern California

Panel Moderated by Dr. Holm

Session 4 (Warning Systems), August 15, 11:15 am – 12:45 pm

Heat Health Warning Systems and Important Considerations for Children and Pregnant People

Bios of Session 4 Speakers

Recording of Session 4

Welcome:

David Edwards, PhD
Chief Deputy Director, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), CalEPA

Introduction:

Rupa Basu, PhD MPH
Chief of Air and Climate Epidemiology section, California EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)

NOAA and National Weather Service Tools for Heat Warnings

Reid Wolcott
Warning Coordination Meteorologist, NOAA/National Weather Service, Seattle, WA

Heat Warning Systems and Action Plans in the US

Nicole Errett, PhD
Assistant Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington

Lessons from Two Decades of Heat Warning and Action Plans in Italy and Europe 

Francesca de’Donato, PhD MSc
Senior Researcher, Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service (Rome, Italy)

Panel Moderated by Dr. Basu