Because of the effects of “this pervasive problem,” the American Academy of Pediatrics is advising its 64,000 members to screen children for food insecurity and to familiarize themselves with community resources that could help the children. Doctors also are encouraged to speak speak in support of local and federal programs that provide nutritious food. The policy statement, published in the professional society’s magazine, is the first time the AAP has urged action on food security. The statement, “Promoting food security for all children,” is to be discussed today at the AAP national conference.
“We are in the midst of a nutritional crisis in our country, and when you’re in a crisis you can’t keep doing what you’ve been doing,” said Dr. Sandra Hassink, AAP president. “That’s why pediatricians are taking a comprehensive approach, connecting families to resources and advocating to keep federal nutrition programs like WIC and SNAP strong.” WIC provides supplemental food packages for pregnant women, new mothers and infants. SNAP, formerly food stamps, is the Supplemental Food Assistance Program, the largest U.S. anti-hunger program.
More than 15 million children live in households that struggle with hunger, said AAP. The children get sick more often, recover more slowly, have poorer overall health and are hospitalized more frequently. Lack of food can impair children’s ability to concentrate in school “and is linked to higher levels of behavioral and emotional problems from preschool through adolescence. Early childhood malnutrition also is tied to conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.”
Nearly one in five households with children is food insecure, defined as lack of money or other resources to acquire enough food, according to the USDA.
“The health effects of hunger on children are pervasive and long-lasting, which is why our new policy urges pediatricians to take action in and outside of the clinic to conquer food insecurity and promote health,” said Dr. Sarah Schwarzenberg, lead author of the policy statement.