children

Food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition among children are associated with negative health and developmental outcomes, including poor concentration, decreased cognitive function, fatigue, depression, and behavioral problems.

No amount of lead exposure is considered safe, and repeated or continuous lead exposure—particularly at high doses—is especially harmful for children, pregnant people, and older adults.

Pertussis (whooping cough) incidence increases in cyclical patterns driven by waning immunity, and high vaccination coverage combined with good communication can mitigate outbreak size and severe outcomes among children who cannot be vaccinated.

Ohio Poison Control reported that about 90% of children aged 12 and under who were exposed to THC were taken to the emergency room, and approximately two-thirds of those required hospitalization (data reported through 2024).

Some families have reported changes in children's mood and behavior associated with youth engagement with artificial intelligence and AI chatbots.

Traffickers commonly target children who lack consistent housing, food, or family support and may exploit those needs by offering necessities, creating debts, and coercing children into sex or labor.

Approximately 42 million Americans receive SNAP benefits, including about 14 million children.

SNAP recipients in the United States include a large proportion of children and elderly people and a substantial share of people with disabilities.