Experts warn of ‘appalling decline’ in child health in UK

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The UK government has overseen an “appalling decline” in child health in recent years amid rising rates of obesity and tooth decay, experts have warned.

A report by The Academy of Medical Sciences has called for “urgent action” to address the deteriorating physical and mental health of children under the age of five in Britain.

“Child deaths are rising, infant survival lags behind comparable countries, and preventable physical and mental health issues plague our youngest citizens,” said Professor Helen Minnis, co-chair of the report and an academic at Glasgow university.

More than a fifth of five-year-olds are overweight or obese, according to the study, while one in four children are affected by tooth decay. The report, published on Monday, estimated the cost of poor infant health will ultimately be at least £16bn a year.

Vaccination rates in the UK had been falling below the safety thresholds set by the World Health Organization, the report warned, threatening the UK’s defences against future outbreaks of dangerous childhood diseases.

The warning comes amid growing calls from medical professionals to improve access to childhood vaccines and quell rising hesitancy towards jabs in some local communities.

Britain’s slide down international tables for child height and obesity is likely to be a battleground at the next general election, which is expected this year.

The Labour party has warned that the biggest cause of admissions to hospital for children aged six to 10 is tooth decay and blamed Conservative government policies for contributing to the deterioration of health in this age group.

“The science is clear — we are betraying our children. Unless the health of babies and young children is urgently prioritised, we condemn many to a life of poorer health and lost potential. The time to act is now,” said Minnis.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health echoed the warning and said the report provided “alarming evidence that the UK is failing too many of its children”.

A government spokesperson said: “We’ve taken significant action to improve children’s health. This includes dramatically reducing sugar in children’s foods, investing over £600mn to improve the quality of sport for children, and encouraging healthy diets for families from lower-income households through schemes like Healthy Start.”

They said the government had invested an additional £2.3bn a year into mental health services, noting that the number of children seen by NHS dentists rose 14 per cent last year.