Christopher Forrest Tells NEJM US Child Health Decline Needs a Developmental Ecosystems Response

Christopher Forrest presented a NEJM interview arguing that US children's health has declined across physical, neurodevelopmental and mental measures over the past 20 years, with many trends sharing common roots. He proposes a "developmental ecosystems" framework in which community, family, education, healthcare and policy jointly shape child health, citing Cincinnati Children's Hospital as an example of embedding health systems in community-led action. He calls for a new ecosystem science and a new social contract for children's health.