[The health status of children under poor ecological and social conditions]

In the Republic of Altai, the past decades are marked by poor trends in the children's health status: lower birth rates, a rise in general and infantile mortality and morbidity and worse physical development. The districts and areas that differ in environmental and social characteristics have been identified. Their comparison has determined the influence of environmental and social factors on the health status of children. There is a relationship of the children's health to environmental and social factors. It has been found that social factors much more influence than do environmental ones. A combination of environmental and social factors exerts the greatest impact on the basic health indices. In the area exposed to a combination of negative effects of these factors where natives predominantly live, there are negative changes in the children's health status. The leading social factors are maternal working conditions, familial financial position, a child's dietary habits, and living conditions.