Report: McDowell Children Have Shorter Lifespans than Children in Other Counties

The differences in life expectancy by location are dramatic. In Watauga County, children can expect to live an average of 81 years — on par with Japan, where residents have the longest life expectancy of any major country.

Drive just 80 miles east to Surry County and children’s life expectancies declined by nearly a decade to 73 years. On average, children born in Surry County have life expectancies on par with children in Cambodia.

The county-level pictures of child health and well-being were produced by Laila A. Bell, director of research and data at NC Child.

Bell compiled data on social, economic and health outcomes for the data cards as a supplement to the North Carolina Child Health Report Card, an annual report released in partnership with the North Carolina Institute of Medicine that monitors the health and safety of children in North Carolina.

“ Across indicators we see that a distance of fewer than 100 miles can mean the difference between positive or negative outcomes in children’s lives, a fact that simply cannot be explained by random chance or genetic predisposition,” said Bell. “These geographic disparities are a stark reminder of the profound impact the environments where our children live, play and go to school have on their long-term health opportunities.”

The data cards present a variety of indicators ranging from income and insurance coverage to asthma and infant mortality.

Data from the report shows that one in 21 births in McDowell is to a mother who received very later or no prenatal care.

Another factor contributing to a child’s estimated lifespan is poverty. In our county, one in three children are considered living in poverty.

Access to public health care is also a factor. The report shows that one in 22 children in the area are uninsured and that around 2990 children are considered food insecure, or living in households struggling to provide healthy, nutritious food for all members of the family.

“ These health challenges are avoidable,” Bell said. “We know that smart public policy decisions can help enhance local efforts to ensure all children in McDowell live in homes and communities that promote their health and development.”

The county data cards identify three investments North Carolina can make to significantly improve the health of its children and families:

— Strengthen access to health insurance for women of reproductive age by expanding Medicaid to cover adults below 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.

— Support infant mortality prevention strategies like the Healthy Babies Bundle recommended by the Child Fatality Task Force.

— Invest in early intervention services to reduce the effects of developmental delays.