A concerning trend in pediatric health has emerged over the past decade, as noted by Dr. Christopher Forrest, a professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
When Dr. Forrest began his career nearly 25 years ago, chronic conditions among children were relatively rare.
However, he now observes an alarming increase in the number of children presenting with chronic diseases.
“They just seem to be sicker. And it turns out they are,” Dr. Forrest remarks.
A recent study published in the journal JAMA indicates a significant deterioration in the health status of American children across multiple key indicators since 2007.
The findings reveal that children in the U.S. are 15% to 20% more likely to have a chronic condition in 2023 than their peers in 2011.
Specific areas of concern include rising rates of depression, anxiety, sleep apnea, and obesity, as well as increases in autism, behavioral problems, developmental delays, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Additionally, reports of issues like poor sleep, limited physical activity, early-onset menstruation, and feelings of loneliness have also become more common.
“I think the overall message is that children’s health in the United States has been declining for almost two decades,” Dr. Forrest asserts.
The researchers behind the study analyzed eight comprehensive data sets, including nationally representative surveys and millions of electronic pediatric health records to arrive at their conclusions.
They also examined mortality rates of infants, young children, and teenagers in the U.S. compared to their counterparts in other high-income nations.
Dr. Forrest points out a stark contrast: in the 1960s, the mortality rates for children in the U.S. were on par with European nations, but that is no longer the case.
“What we found is that from 2010 to 2023, kids in the United States were 80% more likely to die than their peers in these nations,” he states.
The disparities in mortality among infants were primarily attributed to sudden unexpected infant death and prematurity.
In older children and adolescents, the leading causes of this gap include gun violence, motor vehicle crashes, and substance abuse.
In a significant shift, the study notes that in 2020, firearm mortality surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for youth in the United States.
Dr. Frederick Rivara, another expert in pediatrics and a professor at the University of Washington, co-authored an accompanying editorial in JAMA.
He identifies healthcare coverage as a critical factor that contributes to American children’s health challenges compared to peers in other wealthy countries.
Unlike nations such as Canada and the United Kingdom, the U.S. lacks universal healthcare.
“And now that’s going to get worse with kids being removed from Medicaid,” warns Dr. Rivara, pointing to significant cuts in the Medicaid program for low-income Americans established under a recent tax and spending bill signed into law by President Donald Trump.
According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 41% of all U.S. children were enrolled in Medicaid as of January.
In their editorial, Dr. Rivara and co-authors express concern about the impact of policies that could hinder children’s health.
They underscore that while the administration’s Make America Healthy Again movement has brought important issues like chronic diseases to light, it is simultaneously pursuing policies that undermine the health interests of children.
These measures include drastic budget cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, affecting injury prevention programs, and the elimination of the Safe to Sleep campaign aimed at reducing sudden infant death syndrome, as well as initiatives that question the safety of childhood vaccines.
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