To the Editor.— In his commentary on "Pediatrics and Poverty" (Pediatrics 1987;79:567-569), Dr Oberg expresses alarm about the increase in the percentage of children defined as living in poverty, being "malnourished," being homeless, and lacking health insurance. He quotes assertions about "an increasing incidence of low birth weight and preterm infants, failure to thrive, and an increase in infant mortality." This "grim situation" is attributed to "the severe recession of the early 1980s," to "recent budgetary reductions which we have witnessed during the last 4 to 5 years," and to the "reduction since 1981" in "low-income benefit programs."