Sleep-Related Deaths
Sleep-related deaths (often categorized as Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome) are a leading cause of infant mortality in Philadelphia.
Developmental Delays
Metric under development
Children experiencing “toxic stress” from various risks may show delays in early development, a predictor of health problems in adult years. A Running Start – Health will create a system to measure and monitor the percent of children in Philadelphia meeting developmental milestones at 18 months of age, as assessed by healthcare providers using the Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children, and establish a goal to increase this by 2020.
School Readiness
Metric under development
A second key measure of child development is readiness to learn at the time of entry into kindergarten. A Running Start – Health will work with the School District of Philadelphia to develop an aggregate measure of school readiness for kindergarteners and establish a goal to increase this by 2020.
Injuries
Injuries, including those from falls, suffocation, fires, and guns, are the leading cause of death for children age 1-4 and are common causes for visits to hospital emergency departments.
Asthma Exacerbations
Asthma exacerbations are a leading cause of hospitalization of young children, and a major cause for acute care visits and missed school days.
Lead Exposure
Exposure to lead in early childhood can lead to lifelong learning and behavior problems.
Obesity
Obesity in early childhood is a marker for unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, and a predictor for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer in adult years.
