What Are the Startling Statistics?
The startling statistics are that millions of American children live with diagnosed chronic illnesses. According to a research paper published in Academic Pediatrics in 2011, at least 54% of American children have a diagnosed chronic condition.
Statistics for Common Chronic Childrens Health Conditions
Below are the prevalence statistics of some of the most common illnesses affecting our children:
- Asthma: Asthma is more common for boys (7.0%) than girls (5.4%). Approximately 1 in 6 African American children has asthma.
- Allergic eczema: 1 in 4 children has eczema.
- Cancer: 178.3 per million children have cancer.
- Hay fever: 19% of children has seasonal allergies.
- Food allergies: 1 in 12 children has a “true” food allergy (IgE mediated). It is estimated that 1 in 3 children (or more) has food intolerances (are sensitive to particular foods) and 1 in 17 children has a life-threatening food allergy. Nearly 2.5% of U.S. children may have an allergy to peanuts.
- Celiac disease: 2.4% of children have celiac disease.
- Obesity: 1 in 5 children is obese.
Statistics for Neurodevelopmental and Mood Disorders
Millions of American children struggle with what were once termed “psychiatric” disorders: mood disorders, neurobehavioral disorders, developmental delays and learning disabilities:
- Autism: 1 in 30 children (JAMA, 2020) has autism.
- 1 in 36 children (CDC, 2023) has autism.
- 1 in 22 children in California (CDC, 2023) has autism.
- 4.66% of boys (CDC NCHS Data Brief, July 2023) have autism.
- ADHD: 1 in 9 children has ADD/ADHD.
- Deveopmental or behavioral disorder: 16-18% of children have a developmental delay.
- Dyspraxia: 5% of children have dyspraxia (impaired coordination and motor skills)
- Learning disability: 9% of children have a learning disability.
- Mental health disorder: 1 in 6 children has an emotional, behavioral or mood disorder.
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: 1%-4% children have OCD, which is often associated with PANS/PANDAS.
- PANS/PANDAS: 1 in 200 children has PANS/PANDAS.
- Pediatric depression or anxiety: 1 in 20 children has depression or anxiety.
- Sensory Processing Disorder: 1 in 16 children has SPD.
- Severe mood dysregulation: 11% of children have a severe mood disorder such as bipolar disorder.
Soft Signs of Children Who Are Likely to Develop a Chronic Health Condition
For every child diagnosed with a chronic illness, there are many more undiagnosed children. There are millions of children with undiagnosed chronic illness. Many American children are not diagnosed with a particular disease or disorder, but they still show signs of being chronically ill.
Here are just a few signs that a child might be chronically ill:
- Chronic ear infections (more than 2 a year)
- Chronic sinus infections (more than 2 a year)
- Chronic diarrhea or loose stools
- Chronic constipation (does not have a bowel movement everyday or at least every other day; passes hard “pellet” stools, difficulty or straining with a bowel movement)
- Constant runny nose
- Reflux, abdominal pains, or other signs of gastrointestinal distress
- Sensory disorders (i.e., aversions to sights, sounds and smells)
- Recurrent urinary tract infections
- Obsessive or compulsive type behaviors
- Persistent skin rashes (eczema, psoriasis, cradle cap, rashes after eating)
- And many, many more . . .
The most stunning part of this epidemic is that all these seemingly disparate illnesses and disorders may all have the same underlying causes. Learn more about the total load theory and root causes and stressors.
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Sources & References
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Any Mood Disorder. National Institutes of Health. Accessed 5 Mar 2025.
Childhood Obesity Facts. CDC. Accessed 5 Mar 2025.
Current Asthma Demographics. American Lung Association. Accessed 4 Mar 2025.
Bethell, C.D., et al. A National and State Profile of Leading Health Problems and Health Care Quality for US Children: Key Insurance Disparities and Across-State Variations. Acad Pediatr. 2011 May-Jun;11(3 Suppl):S22-33.
Ben-Sasson, A., et al. Sensory over-responsivity in elementary school: prevalence and social-emotional correlates. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2009 Jul;37(5):705-16.
Bitsko, R.H., et al. Epidemiology and Impact of Health Care Provider-Diagnosed Anxiety and Depression Among US Children. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2018 Jun;39(5):395-403.
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More Than a Quarter of U.S. Adults and Children Have at Least One Allergy. CDC National Center for Health Statistics. 26 Jan 2023.
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