While pediatricians are being urged to screen their patients for poverty, some doctors are reluctant to ask families about their finances for fear the questioning may seem invasive or will identify problems that they can't treat, according to an NPR report.
But that's not true, according to researchers. Knowing that a child lives in poverty "changes everything," Susan Briner, M.D., medical director at the Bayview Child Health Center in San Francisco, told the publication.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) earlier this year released recommendations that called for its 64,000 members to ask patients' family members questions to screen for poverty, given its adverse effect on children's health.
The Center for Youth Wellness in San Francisco is working with the pediatricians' organization on a national campaign called Children Can Thrive to raise awareness about the impact of childhood stressors, known as adverse childhood experiences or ACEs, on health, the NPR report said.
Physicians can mitigate the effects of poverty on children, James Duffee, M.D., one of the authors of the AAP policy statement, told NPR. Early interventions can help children tolerate stress in their lives. Research on resilience also shows that a close supportive adult relationship can help a child overcome adversity, Duffee said. In addition to treating children's health problems, pediatricians can help connect them with services and community programs that can be beneficial.
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