One statistic found on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Website states that in England, “Implementing a comprehensive national smoke free law prohibiting smoking in all indoor areas of workplaces, restaurants, and bars resulted in an average reduction of 18.2% per year in the rate of hospital admissions for asthma in children under the age of 15 years.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014).

In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a new policy advising parents to keep toddlers in rear facing car seats until the age of two. This recommendation came after years of research and the development of a child sized crash test dummy that was created by Ford Motors. The research and tests conducted discovered that “children under the age of two were 75 percent less likely to suffer severe or fatal injuries in a crash if they are facing the rear.” (Pediatrics, 2011)

A third statistic that I find interesting that affects our children today is in regards to obesity. Obesity has been a long standing problem in our country due to the wide range of fast food fatty options, lack of quality food at schools, lack of exercise, and a misunderstanding by parents and children of proper nutrition. However, in 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama introduced this country to “Let’s Move.” Not only did this campaign encourage exercise in youth, it also rebuilt the food pyramid and restructured the menus in schools nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the years 2011 and 2012 there was a “decline of 43 percent in childhood obesity in children between the ages of 2 and 5.” The article also pinpoints Michelle Obama’s Law as the driving force. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014).

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Injury prevention and control: Motor vehicle safety. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/protection/improve_health/

Pediatrics (2011). Policy Statement: Child Passenger Safety. Volume 127 . Issue 4.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). New CDC data show encouraging development in obesity rates among 2 to 5 year olds. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p0225-child-obesity.html

Mossler, R. (2014). Child and Adolescent Development. (2nd ed.) San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education.