Being poor for even a short period of time can have lasting health implications for children, according to a new report by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 15.5 million children are living in poverty in the United States, that’s one in five children according to the Census Bureau.

Researchers looked at data surrounding four topics: Health, food security, housing stability and maltreatment. They examined each in relation to past and present recessions. During childhood, the body is growing quickly and researchers say even a brief period of poor nutrition could lead to lifelong issues.

21 percent of all households with children were estimated to be ‘food insecure,’ according to the report data. ‘Food insecure’ is when a family doesn’t have access to enough nutritionally adequate food to meet proper dietary needs. ‘The numbers illustrate that even a one-time recession can have lasting consequences,’ says Dr. David Rubin a co-senior author of the study.

Enrollment in programs such as food stamps has increased. ‘We had counties in the United States where 70 percent of all children in that county were receiving food stamps. It’s shocking to me that we are at those numbers,’ says Rubin, who’s also director of the PolicyLab […]