Poverty and Children’s Health

Evidence mounting that poverty causes lasting physical and mental health problems for children, By David Templeton, November 24, 2013, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Sheila Good faced the decision most mothers dread. Should she spend more time raising her son or earning a paycheck? Should she be a better mom or a better provider? For her 6-year-old son, Benjamin, a little redhead dedicated to baseball, either choice would induce stress. It’s one of those puzzles of poverty with health impacts on children. Three recent studies add to mounting evidence that poverty can exact a lasting toll on a child’s mental and physical well-being, with stress representing a key pathway. Those studies focus on poverty’s impact on a child’s brain volume, the adverse impact of childhood poverty on adult health, and the mental and behavior problems associated with substandard housing…”