The health of children in the United States has deteriorated significantly across nearly every major health indicator over the past 17 years, according to a study led by Dr. Christopher Forrest and a team of researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), along with Dr. Neal Halfon of UCLA.
The study, published in JAMA, draws on data from several national surveys, mortality statistics, and electronic health records from over 2 million children.
“This study confirms what many pediatricians, educators, and parents have been sensing for years; that our children are facing a growing health crisis,” said Halfon, distinguished professor of pediatrics and director of the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities. “The breadth and consistency of these declines across physical, mental, and developmental health indicators demand urgent national attention.”
The study analyzed 172 health indicators using data from five national surveys, U.S. and international mortality databases, and PEDSnet — a network of 10 pediatric health systems.
The study found that U.S. children and teens were nearly twice as likely to die as their peers in 18 other high-income countries between 2007 and 2022. Leading causes of death included firearm injuries, motor vehicle crashes and infant deaths due to prematurity and sudden unexpected infant death.
Chronic conditions also rose sharply: among 3 to 17-year-olds, the prevalence of chronic conditions increased from 39.9% to 45.7% in pediatric health systems and from 25.8% to 31.0% in the general population. Diagnoses of anxiety, depression and eating disorders more than tripled in some cases. Childhood obesity increased from 17.0% to 20.9% and early onset of menstruation rose by over 60%. More children reported trouble sleeping, physical symptoms like fatigue and pain and feelings of loneliness and sadness.
The authors emphasized that these findings should prompt a national reckoning with the systemic factors driving these trends. Future research will focus on identifying the root causes — including social, economic and environmental contributors — and informing policy and practice changes that can reverse the decline. The study underscores the urgent need for a coordinated, cross-sector response to rebuild the developmental ecosystem that is so crucial for supporting healthy child development.
