New research by Children’s HealthWatch finds that the cumulative effects of multiple hardships on young children, including a lack of nutritious food, unstable housing and inadequate home heating and cooling, decrease the chances of normal growth and development in very young children.  The research shows that the greater the level of hardship experienced, the less likely a child was to be classified as ‘well’ on a composite indicator of well-being and the more likely their parents were to be concerned about their development.