Rising percentage of children with chronic health conditions in the U.S.

The number of children with chronic health conditions is increasing in the U.S., according to a recent study. This specifically holds true for the population of children, who live in poverty. This research was presented at the 2016 meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.

The study examined data from the National Survey of Children’s Health for 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2012 and predicted health trends on the basis of sociodemographic characteristics in the country.

The study found more prevalence of asthma and ADHD in children living in poverty as compared to those, who were wealthy. Poor children had a greater likelihood of developing two or more diseases. Those suffering from asthma and ADHD were two times more likely to have an extra medical condition. Some other co-morbid conditions include autism, depression or anxiety disorders, epilepsy and seizures.

The study author, Christian D. Pulcini, MD, said that these findings signified the correlation between poverty and impact on children’s health. The release of the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines suggests that screening of child’s poverty is crucial whenever a child visits a healthcare unit since poor children are at a greater risk for childhood illness like autism, ADHD and Asthma.

Source: sciencedaily.com