The Lifelong Effects of Hunger
Posted by Katherine Van Steenburgh on Friday, April 2, 2010
Guest blogger Ruth Burrell, Executive Director of Kids’ Meals, Inc., recently posted about how Kids Meals, Inc. in Houston, Texas is bringing healthy lunches everyday to kids ages 0-5. Share Our Strength supports Kids’ Meals and many other organizations nationwide that target infants and toddlers, including many early head start programs.
Children’s Health Watch, a research group based in Boston,has collected extensive data showing the effects of poor nutrition on young children. Lack of nutrition for toddlers and infants can have lifelong effects, including slower physical, mental, and social development.
Here are some sobering statistics from Children’s Health Watch. Compared to food secure households, infants and toddlers in food insecure households are:
- 30% more likely to have a history of hospitalization.
- 90% more likely to be reported in fair or poor health.
- Nearly twice as likely to have iron deficiency anemia.
In the Washington Post, Amy Goldstein reported “babies and toddlers in food insecure homes are far more likely to be hospitalized than children in families with similar incomes but adequate food. School‐age children tend to learn and grow more slowly and to get into trouble more often. Teenage girls are more prone to be depressed or even flirt with thoughts of suicide.”
The effects of food insecurity are severe, and it is critical that we continue to fund programs like Kids’ Meals that are providing healthy food for infants and toddlers in need.
Do you know of organizations in your area help fight the hunger of infants and toddlers? Please tell us about them.
April 2, 2010 | 0 comment(s) | Tags: childhood hunger, hinges of hope, infants and toddlers
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