Ia little over a year ago, Ten thousand pediatric caregivers challenged the president President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, on the acute crisis in his field. There were many pediatric emergencies, infants were transferred hundreds of miles from home, and the shortage of child care providers in hospitals and outpatient facilities was concerning. Pediatric Conference and Child Health were then urgently convened and strong measures announced for spring 2023.
At the same time, the term “prevention” was added to the title of the Ministry of Health (which no longer exists), suggesting a revitalization of preventative services for children. However, since that warning, none of the actions resulting from the conference have been announced.
However, the facts are stubborn. We see in France an increase in child mortality rates This is above the European average. France has gradually fallen from 9th place in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rankinge at 26etook place between 1989 and 2021. In 2021, 2,700 children under 1 year old died in France. Of these, 1,200 annual perinatal deaths are currently considered preventable. This statistical indicator is considered an indicator of the quality of obstetric and pediatric care in a country.
The researchers’ hypotheses attribute the recent increase both to the deterioration of the living and health conditions of part of the population and to the deterioration of health care and the social and psychological support system. The current crisis in the most specialized neonatal services, known as “Level 3”, highlights this situation.
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We are also observing a worrying development in child morbidity: Increase in diabetes insulin-dependent children by 4% per year, Obesity in 18 to 24 year olds multiplied by four since 1997, increase in neurodevelopmental disorders Almost 100,000 children and young people are affected by this every year. increased suicidal thoughts and actions among young people, with visits to child psychiatric emergencies increasing by two-thirds in the last five years.
All this in a context where the deterioration of the living environment of children, be it physical-chemical (pollution, endocrine disruptors), socio-economic (Increase in precarity and poverty) or educational (screenings, violence, loss of physical activity) negatively impact their health outcomes and increase health inequalities.
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