Pediatricians to Check Hunger Risk

Recognizing the impact of hunger on child health, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends pediatricians screen children for food insecurity during checkup and wellness visits. The Academy provides suggested questions designed to assess food insecurity affecting children for doctors to ask parents and caregivers.

According to a report by National Public Radio (NPR), a new Academy policy published in the journal Pediatrics recognizes that hunger has long term impacts on child health. The policy further recommends that, in addition to asking questions that can help determine a child’s hunger status, a pediatrician have on hand a list of community resources for families needing food assistance. The full NPR report is available here.