![]() | International Report Outlines Hazards Faced by Children |
By Ellen Kuwana Neuroscience for Kids Staff Writer May 14, 2002
The report focused in part on adolescents, a young group where chronic diseases and the wear and tear of everyday living are not yet evident. Indeed, most adolescents (90% in 23 countries) reported feeling healthy. This age group, however, had more severe outcomes from health problems than younger children. In this age group, for example, depression often leads to suicide. The WHO states that 70% of premature (preventable) adult deaths arise from behaviors, especially drug abuse, that began in the teen years. Every year, drug abuse, complications from pregnancy and childbirth, suicides and injuries contribute to approximately 1.5 million deaths in the adolescent population. |
![]() Image courtesy of the World Health Organization |
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The numbers speak for themselves and are particularly alarming when examined for children under the age of five. Young children are not simply small adults. Children are still developing and thus are more vulnerable to toxins, which may cause irreversible harm to their developing organs. Children live closer to the ground, put things in their mouths without regard for safety, breathe faster, eat more and drink more than adults for their body size. These factors all contribute to the absorption of toxins by children. In developing countries, it is estimated that 3 million children under the age of five die each year from environmental hazards such as unsanitary drinking water and exposure to chemicals such as pesticides, arsenic, lead and other pollutants. |
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