American Kids Are Getting Sicker. Here’s What To Know

Children across the United States are getting sicker, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network. The study examined how the health of U.S. children has changed from 2007 to 2023 using comprehensive data sets, millions of electronic pediatric health records and various surveys.

According to the authors, American children were 15 to 20% more likely to have a chronic medical condition in 2023 than in 2011, with the prevalence of multiple conditions increasing such as depression, anxiety, obesity, autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to name a few. Specifically, from 2011 to 2023, the prevalence of chronic medical conditions among 3- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. rose from 39.9% to 45.7%.

The study also looked at mortality rates in America and compared them to mortality rates of children in other high-income countries. Between 2010 to 2023, the authors found that kids in the United States were 80% more likely to die than kids in other high-income nations. In older children and adolescents, deaths were most closely linked to gun violence, motor-vehicle accidents and substance abuse.

The study underscores the importance of addressing root causes as to why the health of American children has deteriorated over the last 15 years or so. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made it a priority to investigate and combat chronic medical conditions as part of his Make America Healthy Again agenda.

Some progress by Kennedy has already been or presumably will be made. As an example, under his leadership, the FDA has banned Red Dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs. Under the ban, food manufacturers have until January 2027 and drug manufacturers until January 2028 to reformulate their products. The dye was linked to thyroid cancer risks in rats as well as behavioral issues in children such as hyperactivity. Removing the dye could make a dent in decreasing chronic medical conditions such as cancer and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

However, there remain serious challenges with the fight against chronic medical conditions in children. For starters, access to healthcare remains a serious issue in America, but not necessarily other high-income countries. Canada and the United Kingdom, for example, offer universal health coverage for children. That is certainly not the case in the United States, where 41% of children rely on Medicaid for health insurance, according to the Pew Research Center. Health coverage under Medicaid is in serious jeopardy because of the recently signed spending bill by President Trump which will cause nearly 12 million Americans to lose health insurance in the next decade, many of them children.

In addition, many of the chronic conditions that have increased in prevalence in America revolve around mental health, such as depression and anxiety. However, Secretary Kennedy significantly downsized the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, decreasing a third of its workforce. President Trump also cut $1 billion from the agency’s budget. These changes provide much less revenue and staff to deal with the emerging crisis of chronic medical conditions, and particularly mental health, among children in America.

One thing remains certain- a wide range of chronic medical conditions are detrimentally affecting American youth. Investing in our children with adequate funds and staff will be necessary to turn the tide on this concerning health trend.