A major new study has confirmed what many parents, teachers, and doctors have feared for a while now: American kids are in worse shape than they’ve been in decades — and things aren’t slowing down.
From chronic diseases and mental health struggles to early puberty and a spike in preventable deaths, the health of children in the U.S. is in serious trouble. The findings, published in JAMA Network, cover a broad analysis of national data from 2007 through 2023. And they paint a stark, uncomfortable picture.
The Numbers Don’t Lie — U.S. Child Mortality Is Alarmingly High
This isn’t just some blip or statistical anomaly. The difference between America and its peers is dramatic — and deadly.
Infants under 1 year old are 78% more likely to die in the U.S. compared to 18 other wealthy nations, according to the study. And for older children and teenagers aged 1 to 19, the mortality rate is 80% higher.
Let that sink in.
Why? A few major culprits: premature birth, sudden unexpected infant deaths, gun violence, and car crashes. And get this — American kids are 15 times more likely to die by firearm than children in similar countries.
It’s a gut punch.
Pediatrician Dr. Christopher B. Forrest, one of the authors of the study, didn’t sugarcoat things: “We are experiencing a crisis in child health—this is clear and really not debatable.”
Chronic Illness Is the New Normal for Many Kids
It’s not just about survival. More and more American children are living with long-term illnesses that impact how they grow, learn, and live.
Between 2011 and 2023:
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Children aged 3 to 17 with at least one chronic condition jumped from 39.9% to 45.7% in pediatric systems.
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In the general population, that number rose from 25.8% to 31%.
That’s almost 1 in 2 kids with ongoing health issues.
Common chronic conditions? Obesity, asthma, diabetes, ADHD. You name it, it’s on the rise.
One in five children is now obese. That’s not just baby fat — that’s a major public health concern. Girls are hitting puberty earlier, too — 1 in 7 starts menstruating before age 12, which brings its own set of medical and psychological challenges.
And then there’s sleep. Or rather, the lack of it.
Kids Aren’t Sleeping, Playing, or Feeling Like Themselves Anymore
Sleep, which used to be a quiet barometer of health, has turned into a red flag. Many kids today are sleep-deprived, and that sleep debt shows up in unexpected ways — anxiety, attention issues, poor immunity, and more.
There’s a sharp increase in activity limitations. Basically, more kids are saying “I can’t” — not because they won’t, but because they physically or emotionally can’t.
Children are also reporting more headaches, stomachaches, and other physical symptoms linked to stress. Add in skyrocketing rates of loneliness and depression, and the picture becomes even more distressing.
This isn’t just about hospitals and health insurance. It’s about how kids are feeling every single day.
America’s Kids vs. The Rest of the World
Here’s where it really stings. Other wealthy nations are pulling ahead while the U.S. keeps falling behind. Childhood mortality rates in countries like Sweden, Japan, and France have continued to improve, while the U.S. has taken a nosedive since the 1970s.
Here’s a quick comparison from the OECD:
| Age Group | U.S. Mortality Rate vs. Peer Countries | Notable Cause |
|---|---|---|
| Infants (<1) | 78% higher | Prematurity, SUID |
| Children (1–19) | 80% higher | Firearms, Motor vehicle accidents |
| Firearm Deaths | 15x higher | Gun-related fatalities |
This isn’t just a medical issue — it’s a cultural, economic, and political one too.
There’s No Silver Bullet — But There Are Places to Start
Dr. Forrest is blunt: “There are no quick fixes.” But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do. In fact, change starts with community, not just clinics.
He believes we need to rethink how and where children grow up — and who they grow up with.
Some practical advice he shared:
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Make time for extended family and neighbors. Kids need more than just parents.
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Prioritize the home as a nurturing, emotionally safe environment.
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Be present. Ask kids how they’re doing, and really listen.
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Don’t over-prioritize work at the cost of connection.
That last point hit hard: “Make family a priority, more important than a higher paying job.”
What’s Driving This Crisis? A Web of Stressors
There’s no single villain here. It’s a tangled mess of social, economic, and environmental stress.
Experts suspect everything from processed food and screen time to climate anxiety and social isolation may be playing a role.
And while not all of it is fully understood yet, the overall direction is clear: we’re creating environments that are harder and harder for kids to thrive in.
A lot of this goes back to the basics: nutrition, movement, relationships, sleep, safety. Somewhere along the way, those basics slipped out of reach for too many families.
The Warning Signs Were There — We Just Didn’t Listen
This didn’t happen overnight. Many of these trends — from obesity to mental health issues — have been growing since the ‘70s.
Back in the early 1970s, only 5.2% of kids were obese. By 2018? Nearly 20%. Sleep time has steadily declined since the 20th century. And childhood mortality, once on par with other countries, started to diverge decades ago.
The signs were there.
But for years, they were brushed aside, seen as personal failures or isolated incidents. This study makes one thing clear: this is systemic.
And it’s not going away without serious effort.
