Philadelphia, PA -
Researchers from the The Children's Sentinel Nutrtion Assessment Program (C-SNAP), a national five site nutrition assessment program for infants and toddlers, found that infants and toddlers in food insecure households are more likely to experience developmental delays than children that live in food secure households.
The study of 2,010 families revealed 21% of families with children reported food insecurity. Children from food-insecure households were 2/3 more likely to experience developmental delays than children living in food secure households.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2006 data, 17% of children under the age of six live in food insecure households. Food insecurity is associated with poor infant health, decreased cognitive development, and decreased school readiness scores.
The Healthy People 2010 target is to reduce food insecurity to 6% for the US population overall by 2010. Since 2000, there has been no improvement in rates of household food insecurity. More must be done to protect people from the devastating effects of hunger especially children.
The lead author of the article, Ruth Rose-Jacobs, ScD, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston Univerity School of Medicine, notes that the research has important implications for policy. "Providing nutritional and developmental interventions to young children and their families is a proactive step that might decrease the need for later, more extensive interventions for developmentally or behaviorally impaired childre of school age." She notes that programs like Food Stamps, WIC, and other supplimental nutrition programs are critical to the development of infants and toddlers.
For more infomation about the study click here Children's Sentinel Nutrition Program
or contact Michelle Renee Chyatte, MPH, Policy Coordinator
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