In 2011 16.7 million children lived in food-insecure households, about 35% more than 2007 levels, though only 1.1% of U.S. children, or 845,000, saw reduced food intake or disrupted eating patterns at some point during the year, and most cases were not chronic.
Following graduation from medical school, primary care pediatricians complete three years of education in an accredited pediatric residency program. Pediatric residency training emphasizes care of the whole infant, child, adolescent, and young adult.
Doctors of internal medicine, or internists, treat illnesses of the major organ systems. They can act as primary-care physicians to most adults, from the late teens to end of life. Pediatricians are primary-care providers for children, from birth to the age of 18.