The effects of poverty on children's health are well-known Mor Egbar/Eyem/Getty Images
The UK's cuts to benefits this week are expected to cause hundreds of thousands of children to become poorer. It is not yet known what the impact on their health will be. Although there is ample evidence to show that poverty has long-lasting negative effects on our health, the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still being unravelled.
The UK government defines poverty as a household earning less than 60% of the median income. The current threshold is 17,994. The threshold is currently 17,994.
According to the Legatum Institute think-tank in London, the weekly 20 government top-ups to Universal Credit payments are ending today. This was intended to be a support measure during the pandemic and will lead to an additional 290,000 children falling below poverty line.
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David Taylor-Robinson, University of Liverpool, UK, states that child poverty can have a huge impact on one's health. Research has shown that children who are poorer in the UK are more likely than adults to get stomach cancer and have more asthma. Chronic illnesses like heart disease and obstructive lung disease can also be linked to food insecurity, especially as children.
However, there are many other consequences. Children from poor families are more likely than others to start school with lower literacy skills, and later develop mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Children in the poorest parts of England are more likely to be struck by cars than those in the wealthiest.
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The UK government has not done a formal risk assessment to determine the impact of Universal Credit's reduction. New Scientist was told by a spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions that the top-up was intended to be temporary and not necessary. Taylor-Robinson's team has yet to publish an analysis that suggests that the cuts will lead to 1500 more children being removed from their families and placed in care by social services within the next year.
We are just beginning to understand the causes of poverty's negative effects on children's health. Poor nutrition will be a major factor, according to Jack Shonkoff from Harvard University. He also believes that poverty is a result of a chronically activated stress system. Shonkoff says that children who grow up with parents or caregivers who are stressed over money will be more stressed than those who don't.
He says that chronic stress can lead to an increase in inflammation, which can affect the immune, metabolic, and cardiovascular systems. It can also affect the developing brain circuits. Some of these are linked to children's ability to focus and their ability to control impulses. This is important for them to do well at school.
These children are less likely to enjoy the full benefits of school and extracurricular activities. Shonkoff says that if we had policies to address this stress, maybe these children could be a little better off.
This is a timely statement at a time when schools across the UK are trying make up for the disruptions to teaching and closings caused by the pandemic, which has disproportionately affected children from poorer households.
Neuroscientists from Columbia University in New York are studying brains of children born to poor mothers in order to get a better understanding of poverty and how social policies may impact them.
Each family will receive a weekly check of $20 or $333. The team also tracks how children's brains develop between the ages 1 and 4. They also monitor the mother's health and stress levels.
These studies, which aim to look beyond correlation and determine how poverty affects children's lives, are becoming more common but less common. These studies should guide intervention to assist children from less fortunate backgrounds.
This is possible, but policy-makers must pay attention to the evidence. Taylor-Robinson says it is obvious that [government welfare] policies do not revolve around science. He says that I was initially a paediatrician. You quickly realize that poverty and material deprivation are the main causes of many problems that you see, despite your medical training.
New Scientist was told by a spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions that the top-ups were intended to assist claimants in navigating the financial shock and financial disruption caused by the worst stages of the pandemic.
Universal Credit will provide vital support for both those in and out work. It is right that the government should concentrate on our Plan for Jobs. This plan supports people back into work as well as those who are already employed to make more.
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