Going Hungry In First Few Years Of Life Has Long-Lasting Effects On Children
Kids who experience food insecurity are more likely to be lagging behind in social, emotional and to some degree, cognitive skills when they begin kindergarten. In other public health news, researchers stir up a heated debate about what causes cancer.
NPR:
Kids Who Suffer Hunger In First Years Lag Behind Their Peers In School
Growing up in a hungry household in the first couple of years of life can hurt how well a child performs in school years later, according to a new study. An estimated 13.1 million children live in homes with insufficient food, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Many of those children experience hunger during their first few years of life, or their parents are hungry and stressed out about food during those years – the most crucial time for a child's development. (Chatterjee, 3/23)
NPR:
Cancer Is Partly Caused By Bad Luck, Study Finds
Cancer can be caused by tobacco smoke or by an inherited trait, but new research finds that most of the mutations that lead to cancer crop up naturally. The authors of the study published Thursday poked a hornet's nest by suggesting that many cancers are unavoidable. (Harris, 3/24)