The health of American children has declined so much over the past few decades, new research shows that the problem is so severe that American children are almost dying at a much higher rate than children in similar high-income countries.
What’s particularly frustrating is that most health problems are avoidable, said Dr. Chris Forrest, a co-author of a study published in the Jama journal. There were no genetic defects inherent in American children, and it was not about socioeconomics within the US, he said: the results were applicable to the total pediatric population.
Forest, a professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and director of the Center for Applied Clinical Research, said: “The children in this country are really suffering.”
Between 2007 and 2022, children aged 1 to 19 were 1.8 times more likely to die than children in other high-income countries, studies found. The biggest gaps were gun violence and deaths from traffic accidents. Children in the US were 15 times more likely than counterparts in other countries, more likely to die from firearms, and more than twice as likely to die in a car accident.
But we Forest said children are also sick due to their chronic conditions, which is a new phenomenon. In the 90s, when he began caring for children, he said, he saw very few things in a chronic condition. Today, nearly half of children are receiving medical care for chronic health issues, the study says.
Researchers who analyzed hundreds of millions of health records from five nationally representative studies and electronic health records for 10 pediatric health systems found that children in 2023 were 15% to 20% more likely to develop chronic conditions than children in 2011.
Asthma was one of the chronic conditions with improved speed during the period studied, but was an outlier. A higher proportion of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and loneliness, as well as the proportion of autism, behavioral behavior problems, developmental delays, speech language disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The proportion of physical problems, including obesity issues, difficulty limiting activity, sleep problems, and early menstruation, also increased significantly. The period before age 12 is associated with immediate health issues, including type 2 diabetes, but research shows that in the long run, it could also increase the risk of heart and blood pressure problems.
Chronic disease was the focus of a recent federal report from the Make America Healthy Commission, which stated that chronic diseases have made children “the most sickest generation in American history.” The report condemned ultra-highly processed foods, exposure to chemicals within the environment, widespread use of technology, and medical overprescription.
While new research does not identify what is driving the rise in chronic disease, Forest does not believe it is exactly what Maharists have. Rather, he believes that the national holistic approach to caring for children needs to change.
“Our kids are raised in a very toxic environment, and it’s not just chemicals. It’s not just food or iPhones. It’s much deeper. It’s much deeper. It’s what’s called a developmental ecosystem and it’s very difficult to change,” Forrest said. “That’s a difficult answer for people who want a sleazy message that tells them how to fix the problem. Where they are growing, where they go to school, where they play, where their families live, where they’re in the neighborhood and it’s more than just a population.
In the 1960s, American children were dying at about the same rate as countries with similar incomes, but in the 1970s it began to change. The United States currently has around 54 child deaths per day compared to 18 other wealthy countries.
“This means that the same child born in this country is much more likely to die than if he were born in Germany or Denmark. Why are you allowing this?” Forest asked.
In an editorial published alongside the study, pediatricians in Virginia and Washington wrote that there is reason to worry about the health of American children continuing to be delayed, and that political winds are moving in the wrong direction.
“The administration repeats American health again, and is welcomed by important root causes such as chronic diseases and ultra-highly processed foods, but pursues other policies that work against the health of children,” they write. parents.
The study found that between 2007 and 2022, US babies were 1.78 times more likely to die than children in 18 other high-income countries. The biggest disparity in death was due to premature babies and sudden, unexpected infant deaths. This is accidental suffocation, strangulation of the prime minister, and other deaths from unknown causes.
But it’s not just children who are at risk, Forest said. “Women are also struggling in this country, so children aren’t getting off to a great start in their lives.”
The Maternity Desert, which is not easily accessible to pregnant people with doctors, has become a growing problem. According to the March of Dimes, about 35% of U.S. counties are obstetric deserts, which are likely to grow as states pass stricter abortion laws, driving them towards states where it is less complicated to provide care for doctors. From 2020 to 22, there were more than 10,000 premature births among people living in the deserts of obstetric care and in limited counties, the group says.
Dr. Colleen Kraft, a pediatrician at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, said he was not working on the research, but said the study provides good data on a wide range of issues.
“There’s nothing that surprises me here,” said Kraft, a former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who was not involved in the new research.
Over 35 years of practice, she has seen her patients change. Initially, she mainly treated infectious diseases, but vaccines in conditions like meningococcal disease changed that. Now she fears that anti-vaccine sentiment could erode much of that progress.
She also deals with more children now, she said, because of chronic illnesses that help the community prevent it.
For example, schools may limit mobile phones, so children will have more interactions and alleviate problems of loneliness, anxiety and depression. Families can implement media plans where all devices are connected to a central location rather than a bedroom, allowing children to sleep more. Parents can also encourage their children to play outside, take more unstructured time, become social and develop their imagination.
“There are some very common sense things that families can do,” Kraft said.
To see a significant improvement in U.S. childhood health, Forest believes the country needs to undergo major transformation. For example, in other countries, daycare workers are professionals who pay a living wage, so children receive quality care. Parents also take leave when they have children.
“Now is the time to rethink how we treat our children and support our families,” Forest said. “The children of our country are like proverbs canary in our coal mines. When their health is getting worse, it means that our country’s foundations are also getting worse.”
