When smoke from Canadian wildfires was descending upon parts of the Midwest and Eastern United States in early June, children and parents gathered in the courtyard of Burns Park Elementary in Ann Arbor, Mich., for a picnic celebrating the last week of school.
Shannon Hautamaki was loath to cancel end-of-school activities for her 5-year-old son, Ian.
But Ian has severe asthma and had been to the emergency room five times over the last two years, and she anticipated a flare-up from the smoke.
As physicians who specialize in respiratory health and children, our first thought last week as wildfire smoke again engulfed parts of the United States was of little ones Ian’s age and younger because their developing lungs are particularly vulnerable to smoke inhalation.
This new recurring threat of terrible air quality from wildfire smoke is one big reason we believe that for a child born today, climate change may be the single greatest determinant of health over the course of their lives.
Persons:
Shannon Hautamaki, loath, Ian
Organizations:
Midwest, Eastern
Locations:
Eastern United States, Ann Arbor, Mich, United States