Essay Example: The Impact Of Poverty On Newborn

While many people might think poverty is a small problem with an easy solution, living with a low socioeconomic status is an ongoing issue that affects millions of people each day. In 2019, 34 million people were found to be living in poverty in extremely difficult conditions(United States Census Bureau). Living while being extremely poor causes many hardships and can be detrimental to one’s health. Poverty is affecting millions of people each day, and we need to find a solution. These harmful effects can drastically affect one’s health as seen in babies, children, and adults.

Poverty is a complication which harmfully affects newborns and causes gaps in development. Infants that are living in a low income household are proven to be already put at a disadvantage compared to infants living in a wealthier household. “Low income infants perform worse on evaluations of cognitive and language skills at age one year compared to higher income infants”(Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia). This information proves that living in poverty is putting the intellectual health of extremely young children at a drawback compared to their peers. It is very upsetting that young children are already put behind because of circumstances they cannot control. Furthermore, poverty is proved to cause diminishing brain growth in babies. “Research found that poor household environments influenced the rate of infants’ brain development”(CITE). Poverty is shown to be a strong matter that can permanently affect the future of humans. Overall, penury is proven to be a damaging factor in the intellectual health of newborns and a solution needs to be created to help provide a promising future for young children no matter the circumstances they are born into.

Aside from poverty negatively affecting newborns, children also experience setbacks from poverty as well. Children can be affected emotionally from having to live in a stressful and low income environment. For example, “Children living in poverty are at a greater risk of behavioral and emotional problems. Some behavioral problems may include impulsiveness, difficulty getting along with peers, aggression, ADHD, and conduct disorder”(CITE). Unless we find a better way to help young children living in these situations, the problem will continue to progress and the cycle of poverty will continue. Additionally, children are put at a higher risk for physical health complications. “An important predictor of adult obesity is early childhood socioeconomic disadvantage”(Wells). Without proper resources and a steady income, it is harder for parents to be able to provide healthy and nutritious food for their children. Obesity and other health concerns like high blood pressure can be directly related and cause a lifetime of complications for children as well. Research shows, “Poverty and low socioeconomic status and associated with elevated basal measures of blood pressure in children under the age of 13”(Evans). Dangerous consequences for children and their future health are realistic concerns while living in poverty. Once faced with threatening issues like obesity, it is extremely hard to get back onto the right track and children should not have to live with these issues because of living conditions out of their power. 

Poverty influences infants and children while growing up, and many of the difficulties are brought to adulthood. Living in these conditions is extremely difficult not only on one’s physical health, but on one’s mental health as well. Specifically, “Poverty effectively causes or contributes to poor mental health. It is observed that, both individual and neighborhood deprivation increases the risk of poor general and mental health”(Gupta). Through this research, poverty has demonstrated the negative effects it has on humans everyday. Having a healthy mindset on a daily basis is crucial to being able to live a happy and healthy life, and poverty should not take away from that. In addition, “Poverty in adulthood is linked to depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, phychological distress, and suicide”(CITE). These side effects from poverty are dangerous and incredibly difficult to live with, preventing people with a lower income to be able to live healthy, happy lives. “Poverty during childhood is associated with increased morbidity and decreased life span in adulthood”(Evans). Research shows that another effect of poverty is a shortened life span in comparison to someone who grew up in a higher economic status. To prevent the cycle of poverty, we need to work together to find a better solution to help the people who are born into poverty. Carrying the burden of stress related to income is not something that any adult should have to worry about.

Poverty is an ongoing problem that affects millions of people, but the conflict is often looked over. Some individuals believe that raising the minimum wage will be an easy solution to reduce poverty. While raising the minimum wage might help people in poverty, it also would cut millions of jobs which does not solve the problem. For example, “At some point, a high minimum wage would start to destroy jobs”(Manning). We need a different solution to end poverty instead of raising the minimum wage because the loss of jobs does not improve anything. Aside from raising the minimum wage, people also think that creating more jobs is the easy solution. While there may be jobs for people in poverty to apply for, it is hard to get hired without education or previous work experience. Transportation is also an issue for those with low income because it is often expensive and required to be able to get to work. Research states, “Transportation challenges between home, work, and child care added to the constraints for some families”(CITE). With these obstacles, getting a job is not always the easy solution for people living in poverty regardless of what some may state.

Destitution is negatively impacting people each and every day, and we all need to work together to solve the problem. The damaging results dramatically affect the lives of babies, children, and adults. “Poverty is a disease that slaps people’s energy, dehumanizes them, and creates a sense of helplessness and is frequently associated with the unhealthy environment”(CITE). Even though people often overlook the severity of poverty, we should not be content with watching anybody live through these circumstances. Everyone is equal no matter what, and income or social status should not change that.