Children Health Issues Linked to the Environment

Introduction

Foremost, research shows that there are connections between the environment and health issues in a child.  Children are affected by the environment in a different way compared to adults. This is because the body of a child is still developing. Therefore, a child is at greater risk if subjected to environmental pollutants. Environmental pollutants can be found anywhere either at school or at home, and they are hazardous. Mostly, pollutants are found in overcrowded areas mainly in slums. Poverty leads to individuals living in slums where the living costs are low. Therefore, a child living in these areas is more vulnerable to coming into contact with pollutants such as dirt, unclean water, and breathing contaminated air. For instance, a child playing in polluted environments is at greater risk of lead poisoning (Children’s Environmental Health, n.d). In addition, an asthmatic child playing in an area with air contamination is at a risk of having an asthma attack.

On the other hand, poor families struggle to meet the daily needs such as food, housing, and clothing. Most probably, children from low-income families may lack proper food, housing, and clothing. This affects a child’s development since the child may lack important nutrients due to poor diets. Children living in low-income families lack proper parental guidance and care which causes stress and child abuse. Poor conditions are further worsened by the crime rates that are significantly high in the neighborhoods of low-income families (Wood, 2003). In conclusion, children in low-income families lack proper playing ground which is important for a child’s development. Therefore, it is evident that there are environmental factors that affect a child’s development especially poverty.