America is falling behind when it comes to protecting its youngest generation. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) didn’t just raise red flags—it rang alarm bells. It found that children in the U.S. are more likely to die than kids in other wealthy nations. But the most troubling part? The report goes beyond mortality and shows a disturbing, long-term decline in overall child health across the country.
Overall Decline in U. S. Children’s Health
“In the course of conducting this study, there wasn’t a single statistic that was startling, but instead comprehensive data over several years, including millions of children, all pointed to the same trends, which was an overall decline in the health of children and youth,” said senior study author Christopher B. Forrest, MD, PhD. Forrest is a Professor of Pediatrics at CHOP. He is also Director of the Applied Clinical Research Center and Director of PEDSnet.
More than one in five (23.6%) kids in the U. S. suffer from one or more chronic health conditions, according to the research.
Specifically, the study cited “chronic physical, developmental, mental health conditions; obesity; sleep health; early puberty; limitations in activity; and physical and emotional symptoms” among children.
COVID-19 Could Be A Factor
More American children have been dealing with behavioral, developmental, and mental health issues since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the study. That marks a reversal in a positive trend. From 2016 to 2020, rates of chronic conditions trended downward. However, following that period, progress stalled and soon increased. As a result, questions linger about the long-term impact of COVID on children’s health.
“This study confirms what many pediatricians, educators, and parents have been sensing for years: that our children are facing a growing health crisis,” said Dr. Neal Halfon, distinguished professor of pediatrics and director of the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities. “The breadth and consistency of these declines across physical, mental, and developmental health indicators demand urgent national attention.”
Behavioral, Developmental, and Mental Health Issues Growing
Children aged three to 17 years recorded an increase in chronic conditions. The 10 pediatric medical centers surveyed reported a rise from 39.9% to 45.7%. Simultaneously, chronic conditions among the same age group in the general population grew from 25.8% to 31%. In the meantime, rates of obesity, sleep disorders, early onset of menstruation, fatigue, pain, symptoms of depression, and loneliness all increased.
Diagnosis of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders increased more than threefold in some cases, according to the report. Obesity rose from 17% to 20.9%. Meanwhile, the incidence of early onset of menstruation increased by over 60%. Most girls have their first period around the age of 12, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Children in lower-income families were more likely to have multiple chronic health conditions, noted the study.
Study Background
The research was led by scientists at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). They analysed records from a network of 10 pediatric health systems and five national surveys.
In addition, the study compared U.S. children’s health to that of 18 other high-income members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD18). That includes data from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
We’re #1
Research showed that from 2007 to 2023, infants in the U. S. were 1.78 (78%) times more likely to die than in the OECD18 countries. For the one to 19 age group, the figure was 1.8 (80%).
The leading causes of death among those aged one to 19 were car accidents and gun deaths.
Decline in Academic Skills Similar To Health Decline
An unrelated study published earlier in the year shows a decline in reading and math skills similar to the downturn in children’s health.
In February, researchers from Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth issued their current Educational Recovery Scorecard. It found that, on average, students were almost half a grade level behind pre-pandemic levels in math and reading. In addition, reading declined further in 2022.
The report looked at academic recovery across 8,719 school districts in 43 states from 2019 to 2024. Only 100 districts exceeded their 2019 levels.
The Money Factor
Income gaps within districts contributed to achievement gaps between districts. High-income districts were nearly four times more likely to recover math and reading levels than low-income districts.
Greater losses were prevented by $190 billion in federal relief funds, according to the scorecard. Districts that used that money for tutoring, summer school, and related programs fared better than those that did not.
A major factor in academic recovery was attendance, according to the report. Schools that stayed closed longer suffer most. However, absenteeism, which has grown since the pandemic, continues to be a major impediment to recovery.
“The pandemic may have been the earthquake, but heightened absenteeism is the tsunami, and it’s still rolling through schools,” Harvard’s Thomas Kane told the New York Times.
Study Recommendations
Authors of the children’s health study advocate stronger support systems. Specifically, they recommend providing more high-quality early childhood education, better family support, safer neighborhoods, and culturally attuned care.
“Children are naturally resilient and adaptive,” Forrest said. “If we can improve the ecosystems that surround them and meet the challenges we identified in this study, we can lay the foundation for a healthier future for our nation’s youth.”
Commentary: Healthy Kids – Healthy Future
Some of us are old enough to remember President John F. Kennedy’s national program on health and fitness for youth. There was a national advertising and public relations campaign promoting the program. As a result, schools across the country adopted a regular regimen of exercise.
He is quoted as saying, “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”
As it is a time for building moral values and intellectual capacity, childhood is also a time for establishing good health. Healthy kids are more likely to grow into healthy adults. In turn, healthy adults are better poised to maintain the health of a nation.
However, with an estimated $ 1 trillion cut from spending on health and education programs in the “Big Beautiful Bill”, the challenge of growing many of our kids into healthy adults has increased.
We often measure the strength of countries by their gross national product (GDP), the incomes and net worth of their citizenry, and their wealth of natural resources.
All of those measurements can decline. A nation can produce fewer goods and services (GDP), its citizens can lose money, and its natural resources can become depleted.
If you count human beings and our capacity to create as a natural resource, you might view the decline in our children’s health as a decline in our nation’s strength.
In his inaugural address, President Kennedy said, “Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans”.
If we do not commit the financial and personal involvement our children and grandchildren need now, they may lack the capacity to carry that torch when it is passed to them.
Read More:
Longevity: Where The Science Is Headed
Where Tariff Price Hikes Will Hit Your Wallet First
New Study Shows Vaccine May Reduce Risk Of Developing Dementia
