Monitoring children’s health on the front lines of care
Children's HealthWatch monitors the impact of economic conditions and public policies on the health and well-being of very young children. For more than a decade, we have produced original, timely research and analysis linking nutrition, housing, energy and other policy issues to children’s health and development.
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Latest News & Research
May 11, 2012
Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigator, Dr. Maureen Black's recently published journal article was mentioned in This Week in Poverty, a weekly blog published by the Nation.
May 10, 2012
Dr. Maureen Black, Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigator, recently published a paper about the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and child health. The paper was the focus of a New York Times editorial.
May 08, 2012
Children's HealthWatch releases a Policy Action Brief about the effect of housing on children's health in Philadelphia.
May 07, 2012
Dr. Maureen Black, Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigator, published new research in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
May 07, 2012
Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigator, Dr. Maureen Black's recent article was featured in an editorial published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
April 25, 2012
Children's HealthWatch signed a letter urging the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation to strengthen and support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
April 15, 2012
Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigator, Dr. Mariana Chilton, was interviewed on MSNBC.
April 13, 2012
Dr. Mariana Chilton, Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigator, was interviewed about the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
April 02, 2012
Children's HealthWatch Boston Site Coordinator, Katherine Joyce, MPH, was interviewed about her recently published article in the Journal of Applied Research on Children.
March 28, 2012
Dr. Amanda Breen, Site Coordinator Children's HealthWatch Philadelphia, testified at the an Institute of Medicine (IOM) workshop on defining the adequacy of SNAP allotments.
March 23, 2012
Congressman James McGovern joined the Witnesses to Hunger at the Massachusetts State House for a panel discussion during the Witnesses to Hunger Exhibit. Representative McGovern's remarks were reported by 22News WWLP.
March 16, 2012
The Boston Witnesses to Hunger Exhibit was featured in an article published by Drexel University. The article quotes two Boston Witnesses and Dr. Mariana Chilton, Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigator.
March 15, 2012
Two members of the Witnesses to Hunger project in Boston were interviewed by the Boston Neighborhood Network News.
March 14, 2012
Dr. Megan Sandel, Children's Healthwatch Research Scientist, was interviewed about the Witnesses to Hunger Boston Exhibit on Fox 25 Morning News.
March 13, 2012
A short video report of the Boston Witnesses to Hunger Exhibit was aired by the Boston Neighborhood Network News. It features the Witnesses' photographs and testimony.
March 12, 2012
The Witnesses to Hunger in Boston Exhibit's opening reception was featured in the State House News Service and by WWLP-22News. The Witnesses to Hunger Exhibit will be on display through Thursday, March 15.
March 11, 2012
Mrs. Bonita Cuff, whose photos were featured in the Witnesses to Hunger photo exhibit in Boston, joined a panel discussion about poverty on The Melissa Harris-Perry Show on MSNBC.
March 11, 2012
Victoria Myer, Boston Nutrition Examiner, wrote an article about the Witnesses to Hunger Boston Exhibit.
March 09, 2012
Boston Globe staff writer, Kay Lazar, describes the Witnesses to Hunger in Boston exhibit. The article links to the Witnesses' photos and quotes. Dr. Megan Sandel, Children's HealthWatch Reseach Scientist, is quoted.
March 09, 2012
A description of the Witnesses to Hunger Exhibit in Boston was included in Greg Kaufmann's weekly bog for The Nation.
March 08, 2012
Dr. Mariana Chilton, Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigator, coauthored a study published by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
March 07, 2012
Dr. Maureen Black, Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigator, was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame.
March 02, 2012
Children's Healthwatch's newest report "The SNAP Vaccine: Boosting Children's Health" is featured in a blog post published in the Nation.
March 01, 2012
Children's HealthWatch released a report which explains our new research findings on the effect of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on children's health. The medical evidence shows that SNAP is an effective vaccine for supporting the healthy minds and bodies of our future leaders--our children.
February 24, 2012
Three pieces written by Children's Healthwatch researchers were published by Journal of Applied Research on Children. One piece summarizes Children's HealthWatch's contribution to the research on the health of very young children.
February 23, 2012
Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigators wrote a letter to the leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to provide them with Children's HealthWatch research on the importance of adequate nutrition to children's health.
January 27, 2012
Dr. Diana Cutts, Principal Investigator, was interviewed about families who struggle with both obesity and hunger. At Hennepin County Medical Center, Dr. Cutts sees many families who struggle with both hunger and obesity. "I think it is way more common than we would have ever, ever imagined," said Dr. Cutts.
January 25, 2012
Dr. John Cook, Principal Investigator, was interviewed about Kansas's food stamp policy. The state of Kansas made a policy change that eliminated or reduced food stamp benefits for hundreds of low-income U.S. children of immigrant parents. "To do anything that will eliminate children's support in these times is so counterproductive," said Dr. Cook.
January 19, 2012
Dr. Debbie Frank, Principal Investigator, was a keynote speaker at the Oregon Food Security Summit. Dr. Frank said," Food Insecurity is an insult to the developing brain as well as the developing body."
January 06, 2012
In a blog published by the Nation, Children's Healthwatch recent research on housing insecurity was listed as one of the five things learned about poverty in 2011.
December 28, 2011
Dr. John Cook, Children's HealthWatch Principal Investigator, wrote a letter to the editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
December 15, 2011
Children's HealthWatch is quoted in an opinion piece for Roll Call on the impact of safe affordable housing on health.
December 07, 2011
Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, is quoted in a commentary in the series, How Housing Matters to Families and Communities, published by Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity.
November 26, 2011
Dr. Deborah Frank, Founder and Principal Investigator, and Dr. John Cook, Co-Principal Investigator, were interviewed by the The Kansas City Star on food insecurity and hunger in children. They both spoke about the physical and cognitive effects of food insecurity, and the importance of a healthy diet for children.
November 22, 2011
Dr. Diana Cutts, Principal Investigator, was interviewed by Kaiser Health News about the food pantry at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
November 21, 2011
Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, is quoted in an article by ABC News on how to help out hungry families across the nation.
November 15, 2011
New research by Children's HealthWatch finds that families that are housing insecure are more likely to be food insecure and have young children who are in fair or poor health, at risk of developmental delays, and/or underweight. Investment in affordable and subsidized housing would not only reduce housing and food insecurity but would improve the health and potential for school success of our nation's young children.
November 14, 2011
Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, and Dr. Deborah A. Frank, Founder and Principal Investigator, wrote an Exclusive Commentary for Spotlight on Poverty & Opportunity for their "How Housing Matters to Families and Communities" series. They wrote about the importance of safe, decent, and affordable housing on the health of young children and their families, and why doctors should be concerned about housing.
November 09, 2011
In new research conducted at the Philadelphia site of Children's HealthWatch, we replicated the 2008 study Coming Up Short: High Food Costs Outstrip Food Stamp Benefits, examining the affordability and accessibility of healthy food in three types of stores in Philadelphia. The study showed that families of four who receive the maximum SNAP benefit experience a $2,352 annual shortfall and that more than a third of the food items were missing across all store types. Protecting SNAP's existing entitlement structure is critical to ensuring that families continue to get the support they need to provide healthy food for their children.
October 11, 2011
Children's HealthWatch research shows that the SNAP benefit increase instituted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act protected young children's health. In the two years after the benefit increase, children in families receiving SNAP were significantly more likely to be classified as "well children" than young children whose families were eligible for but did not receive SNAP. Sustaining the April 2009 benefit increase will promote the health and well-being of America's youngest and most vulnerable children.
September 26, 2011
Dr. Deborah Frank, Founder and Principal Investigator, and Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, were both interviewed by CNN regarding the effects of food insecurity on child health. Both were followed while working in the Grow Clinic at Boston Medical Center, and discussed how damaging malnutrition can be on young children.
September 26, 2011
Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, was interviewed by KRDO News Channel about the increase in underweight young children being seen in Boston Emergency Rooms. She spoke about the irreversible effects of chronic malnutrition on the very young.
September 22, 2011
Dr. Mariana Chilton, Co-Principal Investigator Philadelphia, was interviewed by CNN regarding the effects of food insecurity on American families. A few Witnesses to Hunger participants were also interviewed, and discussed their personal experiences with food insecurity and the effects on their families.
September 16, 2011
John T. Cook, PhD, Co-Principal Investigator at Children's HealthWatch, wrote a letter to the editor of the Boston Globe commenting on the September 2nd editorial "Making War on Empty Calories." Dr. Cook clarifies crucial issues concerning SNAP and unhealthy foods.
August 17, 2011
Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, was interviewed by ABC News regarding the hungry children she sees at Boston Medical Center. She also spoke about the struggle that families are facing to feed their children.
August 06, 2011
Dr. John Cook, Co-Principal Investigator, and Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, were interviewed by ABC News regarding the trade-offs that families are forced to make as they struggle to feed their children.
August 01, 2011
Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, was interviewed on Fox 25 News in Boston on the increasing number of children who are food insecure and underweight.
July 28, 2011
Dr. Deborah Frank, Founder and Principal invetigator, and Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, were both quoted in an article in The Boston Globe. The article highlighted the increased number of families with children that are food insecure, having difficulty finding stable housing, and making trade-offs to make ends meet.
July 28, 2011
Dr. Deborah Frank, Founder and Principal Investigator, was interviewed on WBUR regarding the increasing number of hunger children in Boston, and the effect the economy is having on their health.
July 28, 2011
Alfred Lubrano cites Children's HealthWatch and Witnesses to Hunger research. His article discusses the state of hunger in children in Philadelphia, and how the health of these children are affected by food insecurity.
July 28, 2011
Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, spoke to NECN about the increasing amount of children who are hungry and the health effects of being food insecure.
July 28, 2011
Dr. Megan Sandel, Research Scientist, was interviewed on Univision TV in Boston regarding the increasing numbers of children who are food insecure and underweight.
July 11, 2011
Pat LaMarche quotes our Behind Closed Doors report in her Huffington Post blog. Her blog, titled A Nation of Caylee Anthonys, discusses the plight of low-income families that have to make trade-offs between basic necessities.
June 16, 2011
Children's HealthWatch publishes research on the health impacts of housing insecurity in the American Journal of Public Health. The article, written by Dr. Diana Cutts, Co-Principal Investigator Minneapolis, reports research that children living in crowded housing or moving frequently are more likely to be food insecure, in fair or poor health, at risk for developmental delays and seriously underweight.
June 10, 2011
Children's HealthWatch releases a brief on the impact of federal programs on the health of young children. Our research has shown that children who suffer from poor nutrition, unstable housing and inadequate home heating have a greater likelihood of poor health, a higher risk of developmental delays, and in some cases, an increased risk of hospitalization.
June 02, 2011
Kathryn Bailey, Research & Policy Fellow, and Dr. John Cook, Research Scientist, co-wrote a guest blog for Root Cause regarding how food insecurity affects children who are both underweight and overweight.
May 12, 2011
Dr. Maureen Black, Co-Principal Investigator Baltimore, wrote an op-ed with Dr. David Paige for the Baltimore Sun. Their op-ed discusses the potential budget cuts to WIC and how those cuts would affect Baltimore families.
April 23, 2011
Dr. Alan Meyers, Co-Principal Investigator of Children's HealthWatch Boston, was quoted in an article in the Boston Globe. The article discusses the cuts to the WIC program in Massachusetts, and Governor Patrick's stance on the budget.
April 08, 2011
Children's HealthWatch research is cited in a blog about weatherization aid for low-income families.
March 27, 2011
Dr. Deborah Frank, Founder and Co-Principal Investigator of Children's HealthWatch is quoted about the impact of hunger on the bodies of children. The article discusses cost to society of children being hungry and calls for a need to invest in nutrition programs.
March 22, 2011
Dawn Crayco, Deputy Director of End Hunger CT!, was a guest blogger on Susan Campbell's blog. The blog post cites Children's HealthWatch research on cognitive and health impact of hunger.
March 11, 2011
Research by Children’s HealthWatch shows that energy-insecure families (those that are struggling to pay utility bills) are more likely to have moved two or more times in the previous year which, like energy insecurity, is a known risk factor for poor child outcomes including food insecurity, poor health, hospitalizations and developmental delays. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides low-income households with assistance in paying their utility bills, is effective at shielding young children from the harmful effects of energy insecurity. According to research by Children’s HealthWatch, young children whose families received LIHEAP were less likely to be at risk for growth problems and had healthier weights for their age.
March 08, 2011
Research by Children's HealthWatch shows that young children in families that did not receive SNAP due to administrative and other difficulties were more likely to be child food insecure (sometimes called child hunger) and significantly underweight for their age (an indication of under nutrition). These young children were also more likely to live in households that were struggling to put food on the table (houshold food insecure) and living in crowded/doubled up conditions or moving frequently. Our previous reseaerch has shown that children in food-insecure households whose families participate in SNAP are significantly more likely to be in good or excellent health than children in similar families that do not have access to the program. Removing barriers to accessing SNAP can protect the health of America's children.
March 03, 2011
New research by Children's HealthWatch finds that families that are behind on rent are more likely to be food insecure and have young children in fair or poor health, at risk of developmental delays, and a mother in poor health and experiencing symptoms of depression when compared to families not behind on rent. Strikingly, the negative health impacts of being behind on rent are very similar to families experiencing homelessness. These findings indicate the pressing need for investments in affordable housing and rental assistance programs to stabilize families and their very young children in decent housing they can afford.
March 03, 2011
Dr. Mariana Chilton, Co-Principal Investigator Philadelphia, was interviewed on NBC Philadelphia regarding the number of families with food insecurity in Philadelphia.
February 04, 2011
Dr. Diana Becker Cutts, Co-Principal Investigator Minneapolis, was interviewed for an article on the Hennepin County Medical Center Food Pantry. This Food Pantry gives out food to low-income patients that are struggling to provie food for their families.
January 21, 2011
WGBH interviewed Dr. Megan Sandel, a pediatrician at Boston Medical Center, who participated in the panel at our policy briefing on January 20, 2011 to release our new report, Behind Closed Doors: The hidden health impacts of being behind on rent. Dr. Sandel discussed the effects that falling behind on rent could have on children's health.
January 20, 2011
Children's HealthWatch holds a policy briefing at the Massachusetts State House in Boston to release our new report "Behind Closed Doors: The hidden health impacts of being behind on rent."
January 18, 2011
Witnesses to Hunger hosts USDA Under Secretary Concannon for a discussion on solving child hunger.
Recent Children's HealthWatch Events
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Witnesses to Hunger-Boston Photo ExhibitThe Witnesses to Hunger exhibit presented the photographs and frontline testimony of eight Boston mothers who are "witnesses to hunger" and their related experiences with issues of food, housing, health and education. Their photographs were on display at the Massachusetts State House in Doric hall for a week in March.
Click here to read the policy fact sheet from the exhibit. Read more |
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Find out more about Children's HealthWatch's policy prioritiesChildren's HealthWatch's policy priorities include current and upcoming issues that support children's health and well-being. Read more |
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Get a copy of Children's HealthWatch's latest publicationsDownload, print, save, and distribute these recent publications from Children's HealthWatch. |
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FAQs about the link between nutrition and child health and developmentAnswers to frequently asked questions from parents, physicians, researchers, and policymakers, on the subject of children's health, nutrition and development. Additional Information for: Researchers | Policy Markers & Advocates Read more |
