The effects of poverty are far reaching. Children, however, are the ones that face
permanent detrimental damage from being raised in a poor family. Infants and children are the innocent
victims. They can’t do anything to help
their situation individually, as they are dependent on others for their
individual needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. While government incentives and non-profits
have started programs designed to help children rise above the poverty mentality,
the effects of poverty go much deeper than what we can see or provide for.
There have been hundreds of studies which explore the effects of
poverty on children. Studies have shown
that children raised in long term poverty are usually shorter, and may even
experience growth retardation more often than their non-wealthy peers. (Zéphyr
Ehounoux, Maria Victoria, Louise Séguin et al. “the Quebec Longitudinal Study
of Child Development”.) Growth stunting
in poor children is almost double that of non-poor children, which can lead to
cognitive development issues. On the
other side of the coin, 34% of poor children are obese, whereas their non-poor
counterparts have an obesity rate of 19%.
The WIC program also faces obesity problems. Between 1992-1998, the rate
of obesity rose from 11% to 13.2%, with an overall increase in prevalence in
obesity of 20%. The effects of poverty
don’t stop at the scale. The National
Health and Nutrition Group ran an examination that showed that children who
suffered from poverty had a 9% higher lead level in their blood. This can be from their families living in
homes with lead based paint, or by purchasing low-end toys and furniture that
may contain lead. In 1999, between 8-12%
of children enrolled in federal assistance programs had elevated blood levels.
Low birth
weight occurs most often in babies born to single mothers with little education
and to African American mothers, all of which are groups with higher poverty
rates. Low birth rate brings with it a
host of potential complications, including serious physical abnormalities and
learning difficulties, including grade repetition.
Asthma is
another problem that poverty stricken children will face. 8% of poor children will face the challenge
of asthma; only 6% of non-poor children will be diagnosed with asthma.
To put it
into broad terms, children in poverty are 3.6 times as likely to have poor
health, and 5 times as likely to die from an infectious disease.
Learning
disabilities and cognitive impairment are also issues faced by poor children.
Poor children are 1.3 times as likely to have these difficulties than non-poor
children. Under nutrition, or a poor
diet, is a main factor. A diet lacking
in vitamins, fruits and vegetables can cause children to lack in motivation,
focus, and emotional development. This
can lead to a poor parent-child bond and inhibit social skills. With impaired social skills, children can
suffer from anger problems, hyperactivity, and depression.
More than
one third of children in poverty start kindergarten behind their non-poor
counterparts. By the time they reach the
fourth grade, more than half of these children will lack the literacy skills
necessary to read successfully.
Many times
we correlate poverty with countries other than the United States. However, poverty is an epidemic that affects
every city, town, and state. We need to,
as a nation, stand up for our children, as the future is dependent on their
success. To get involved helping homeless
children, go to Stand
Up for Kids, HCN Kids,
or Horizons
for Homeless Children.
Megan Wilson is a stay at home mom,
blogger, and freelance writer. She’s
active about social issues and helps spread the word about Social Services Software.
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