Originally posted on HealthDay.

MONDAY, Oct. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Child tax credits had a huge impact in U.S. households that struggle to afford food.

And after those credits ended, many low-income American families with children had trouble getting enough to eat.

Food insufficiency increased substantially, by about 25%, between January and July after the Child Tax Credit payments stopped on Jan. 15, 2022.

Black families, Hispanic families, and Indigenous and immigrant families were especially hard hit, according to researchers from Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Boston Medical Center (BMC).

The researchers said the increase in food insufficiency is an urgent problem. Poor nutrition uniquely affects the health and well-being of growing children, they explained in a university news release.

“This significant increase in food insufficiency among families with children is particularly concerning for child health equity, as child health, development and educational outcomes are strongly linked to their family’s ability to afford enough food,” said study author Allison Bovell-Ammon, director of policy and communications at BMC-based Children’s HealthWatch. “Even brief periods of deprivation during childhood can have lasting impacts on a child.”