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Protecting Young Children From the Impacts of Wildfires

A conversation about how wildfire smoke affects young children and how we can reduce exposure to support healthy development.

Published: September 29, 2025

young child sitting in a park on the grass.

In this episode of the Brain Architects, Lindsey Burghardt, MD, MPH, FAAP, moderates a conversation with Joseph G. Allen, DSc, MPH, associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of Harvard’s Healthy Buildings Program, and Sujeet Rao, Director of the Health and Wellbeing practice for USC’s Public Exchange, on how wildfire smoke is affecting children’s health and development.

The discussion explores why wildfire smoke has become a growing concern for children across the US—not just in fire zones—and highlights what communities can do to reduce exposure and support healthy development in the face of this increasing environmental challenge.