Childhood Health Problems Associated With Disease in Adulthood – (09-21-00)

Childhood Health Problems Associated With Disease in Adulthood

This article stresses the importance of keeping our kids healthy. The lifestyles and diets of children today are horrendous and we really need to start setting good examples as adults and parents so that the children can enjoy health all their lives.

Major childhood health problems appear to increase the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and arthritis in adulthood, Dr. Mark D. Hayward reported Sunday at the American Sociological Association meeting in Washington, DC. “The odds of having chronic lung problems are over four times greater for those reporting infectious diseases as a child [compared with] people who were healthy as a child,” Dr. Hayward told Reuters Health. Childhood infectious diseases such as scarlet fever, pneumonia, measles, and tuberculosis are strongly associated with the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adulthood, he added. In adults who reported childhood noninfectious conditions, such as anemia, scoliosis, or heart murmurs, the researchers found a higher incidence of cancer, arthritis or rheumatism. “The risk of developing all major fatal conditions — except diabetes — as an older adult are elevated if you have had a major childhood health problem,” Dr. Hayward said. He added that this risk remains even when factors such as education and income are considered.