A new Canadian study shows that poverty during a child’s toddler years can lead to shorter stature by the time they reach kindergarten, regardless of hereditary factors. The researchers stress that although Canada is an industrialized country with a universal healthcare system and accessible daycare, the country still has health inequalities directly related to poverty, such as poor nutrition and housing, medical problems, such as asthma, that can lead to shorter stature. One of the shortcomings of this research is that it doesn’t address whether these children will “catch up” to their peers during adolescence, or by the time they reach adulthood.
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Tags: canada, children, kids, poor, poverty, short, stature, toddlers
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
January 20th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I don’t understand how this information is true when Black people dominate NBA. They certain all came from poverty.
January 20th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Hi,my name is Diane and I am writing in reply to your email, Poverty leads to shorter stature etc. I am 60 years old and have always been short, I am now 4′9″ I used to be a few inchs taller. I am of Italian decent and every women on my mothers side of the family, as they got older, seemed to shrink. I think that may be inherited. However, when I was born in 1949 I was not premature but weighed in less than three pounds. My mother was ill at the time she was carrying me. Our family always ate very well. Very healthy and we never wanted for anything. I have always had allergies all my life and I have had asthma for years. My theory is that perhaps because of my low birth rate my lungs never fully developed and perhapps maybe why I am so short. I want to add that I am reasonably healthy today. Thank you, Diane
June 24th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Thanks so much for this. Sorry, I don