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According to the report, children living in the most deprived areas are much more likely to be in poor health, be overweight or obese, suffer from asthma, have poorly managed diabetes, experience mental health problems and die early.
Children living in the most deprived areas are much more likely to be in poor health, be overweight or obese, suffer from asthma, have poorly managed diabetes, experience mental health problems and die early. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA
Children living in the most deprived areas are much more likely to be in poor health, be overweight or obese, suffer from asthma, have poorly managed diabetes, experience mental health problems and die early. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Poverty in the UK jeopardising children’s health, warns landmark report

This article is more than 7 years old

‘Stark inequalities’ and high rates of child death, obesity and ill-health highlighted amid calls on government to prioritise child health

Children’s health in the UK is in jeopardy, with higher child death rates, obesity and ill-health than in much of Europe, according to a landmark report.

“The bottom line is that the UK could do far more to improve child health and wellbeing. UK performance on several measures, though better than the United States, is worse than many European countries,” says Professor Neena Modi, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), in the report.

“Particularly troubling are the stark inequalities in child health that have widened in the last five years.”

The report, published on Thursday, shows that:

  • The UK has the fifth highest mortality rate for babies under the age of one year out of 19 European countries and one of the highest rates for older children and young people. There are around 130 more deaths of one to nine-year-olds in the UK every year than there would be if it met the European average. The leading causes are cancer, injuries and poisonings, congenital conditions and neurological and developmental disorders.
  • Smoking in pregnancy, which increases the risk of deaths in babies and disease in later life, is 11% in England and 15% in Northern Ireland, higher than in many European countries and strongly associated with deprivation. The rate is 5% in Lithuania and Sweden.
  • Breastfeeding rates are low – only 34% of babies are breastfed at all by six months, compared with 71% in Norway.
  • In England’s most deprived areas, 40% of children were overweight or obese in the last year, compared to 27% in the most affluent.

“We are terribly concerned,” Modi told the Guardian. “What is particularly shocking is that although we’ve known these things for a long time, we are still in a situation where there is such wide health disparity between the most advantaged and the least advantaged.

“The shocking thing is that we know what’s wrong, we know where we stand, we’ve known this for some time but we seem to be absolutely stuck.

“Children are a low priority. In this country children are still not seen. They are not visible. But as a scientist I would say the other reason we’re lagging behind is because the link between child health and adult health and everything that follows downstream from that in terms of the economic prosperity of nations is not adequately recognised.”

Infant mortality in Europe

Children living in the most deprived areas are much more likely to be in poor health, be overweight or obese, suffer from asthma, have poorly managed diabetes, experience mental health problems, and die early, the report shows.

“Poor health in infancy, childhood, and young adult life will ultimately mean poor adult health, and this in turn will mean a blighted life and poor economic productivity. The UK is one of the richest countries in the world; we can and must do better, for the sake for each individual, and that of the nation as a whole,” said Modi.

Sarah Toule, head of health information at World Cancer Research Fund, agrees:“We strongly support RCPCH’s call on the government to close the poverty gap and improve our children’s health and future.”

The report calls for child health to be pushed high up the government’s agenda, as a cross-departmental issue. Each government – Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England – should develop a child health and wellbeing strategy and consider children’s health in all policymaking.

The college also calls for a broadcasting ban on adverts for high fat, sugar and salt foods before 9pm, support for breastfeeding and minimum unit pricing of alcohol – which would help make strong drinks unaffordable for children and young people. In addition, the college want the public smoking ban extended to schools, playgrounds and hospitals.

The call for action was backed by the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of over 35 leading charities, Royal Medical Colleges and campaign groups, who said: “We must take bold action now by bringing in measures like the soft drinks industry levy, reducing the sugar, saturated fat, and salt from everyday foods and restricting junk food marketing to children to give us a fighting chance to help make our children healthier now, and in the future.”

The Child Poverty Action Group also applauded the report’s recommendations. “The Royal College’s report demonstrates all too clearly how poverty in the UK is jeopardising children’s health,” said Alison Garnham, chief executive.

“We are nowhere near where we should be on children’s wellbeing and health given our relative wealth. In the face of a projected 50% increase in child poverty by 2020, this report should sound alarms. It is saying that unless we act, the price will be high – for our children, our economy and our overstretched NHS which will take the knock-on effects.”

A cross-governmental approach, considering child health in every policy, was the right one, Garnham said. “But the overall question the report raises for our prime minister is will she continue with the deep social security and public service cuts she inherited – to the detriment of our children’s health – or will she act to ensure that families have enough to live on so that all children get a good start? If other comparable countries can produce results that put them in the top ranks for child health, why not us?”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “We are determined to tackle health inequalities and help children and families lead healthier lives. To help, over the next five years we will invest more than £16bn in local government public health services.”

This article was amended on 26 January 2017. An earlier version said incorrectly that the UK has the 15th highest mortality rate for babies under the age of one year out of 19 European countries; it ranks 15th out of those 19 countries, so has the fifth highest rate.

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