A new report published by Công dân cho trẻ em và thanh thiếu niên entitled The Bottom Line is Children: Children’s Health Status in Montgomery County, has found that most children in Montgomery County are healthy. Some of the most positive findings include a lower teen birth rate, and a decrease in asthma-related hospitalizations.

Despite the results, Montgomery County still has important challenges ahead when it comes to children’s health, including battling child obesity and conducting more lead poisoning screenings. PCCY Executive Director, Donna Cooper and Health Director, Colleen McCauley, both expressed the significance of the report, since there is a direct link between the state of children’s health and their chances of obtaining a good education, gainful employment and higher salaries in their adulthood. Montgomery County Commissioners Chairman, Josh Shapiro, joined the authors of the report at a press conference, expressing his intention of working alongside the PCCY to ensure improved health and welfare for children.

The statistics

The figures compiled in the report are as follows:

Teen birth rates were reduced by 28 per cent between 2007 and 2011.
The number of diagnosed cases of asthma decreased by 3,508 between 2004 and 2012 (from 26,922 to 23,414, respectively).
Some 97 per cent of Montgomery County’s 178,000 children are insured.

Health concerns

Those who most suffer from ill health are children from undocumented and/or poor families, since their parents are less likely to stress the importance of exercise and healthy eating. One particular area of concern likes in the realm of childhood obesity (almost 9,000 children officially became overweight/obese over the past five years – this marks a staggering 33 per cent increase). The difference in figures between different ethnic groups is notable. From 2008 to 2012, for instance, some 53 per cent more Latina and 220.1 per cent more uninsured children were obese/overweight, compared to the also worrisome but less marked 33 per cent general increase in obesity across the board. The report notes: “An estimated 1,838 Montgomery County children are undocumented and uninsured. As a result, these children are not able to access reliable health care services.” The researchers go on to say that the statistics actually underestimate the actual number of uninsured children, since the exact number of those residing in the U.S. illegally is difficult to assess.

The number of screenings for lead poisoning, is likewise way below ideal numbers, despite the fact that in Montgomery County, two thirds of all homes were constructed prior to 1980 (lead was not officially banned for residential use until 1978). Contamination is often caused by lead-based paint, which is a major concern when it comes to building safety in Montgomery County. The biggest cause of concern arises when lead-based paint chips or peels, or is disturbed during home renovations/accidents. Removing lead from a home can set a family back thousands of dollars yet in 2012, the federal government curtailed lead poisoning prevention funding to the states. In 2012, some 58 children tested positive for lead poisoning, a clear indication of the need for more thorough and expansive checks. Moreover, 14 per cent of children aged under six were screened. In addition to screening, parents also need to be on the lookout for common symptoms of lead poisoning, which include constipation, difficulty sleeping, headaches, irritability, anemia, abdominal pain, a loss of appetite, etc. These can lead to far more serious conditions, including slowed growth, impaired speech, brain damage, behavioral problems, kidney and liver damage and hearing loss. Those who live in buildings built prior to 1980 should routinely be screened, since lead poisoning can often have no visible symptoms, building up over time until dangerous levels are reached.

Challenges ahead

Cooper, McCauley and Shapiro agree that programs which encourage screening for lead and provide parents with the resources and knowledge they need to fight obesity, have been affected by funding cuts at both state and federal levels. The report provides ideas on how county officials, PCCY and other institutions can work together to combating these health risks. Plans include working alongside schools to remove obstacles for undocumented children to obtain insurance, promoting programs which encourage exercise at school, offering incentives for companies managed by Medicaid to fight obesity and increasing the number of insured via the Affordable Care Act.

MOCOVOX.Com – April 15, 2014 – Đọc bài báo trực tuyến