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The American Academy of Pediatrics has published a comprehensive research-based technical report summarizing the effect of child poverty on children and their families, accompanying a policy statement (NEJM JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Mar 9 2016; [e-pub] and Pediatrics 2016 Mar 9; 137:e20160339). Key points are:
The biologic basis of poverty's effects on child health lies in the “frequent, unremitting activation” of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis; “an impaired ability of the prefrontal cortex to suppress the amygdala, the ‘on switch' for the stress response”; chronic inflammation, which is tied to a variety of adult ailments; and structural brain changes important for school readiness.
The federal poverty level (FPL) is based on da…