Week 4

Stressors and the Effects on Child Development 

There are many types of stressors that can impact a child’s development and identity. From the list, (war, poverty, racism, natural disaster, isolation, hunger, noise, chaos, disease, environmental pollution, and violence) I chose to focus on isolation. I chose isolation because of my grandma’s childhood. My grandmother and her siblings were put into an orphanage when she was a young child. She is the youngest of five and was separated from her siblings. This was very hard on my grandmother and while trying to deal with her separation with shyness and sadness she was isolated from others in the orphanage. Being isolated brought so much stress on my grandmother it affected her in many ways. One story that breaks my heart is her bed-wetting story. She was very stressed about the isolation from others that she would wet the bed at night. When doing so she was abused by the adults and made to change her own sheets in the middle of the night, crying. As she grew older she knew she had to compensate for the isolation that was brought upon by her shyness. She began breaking out of her shell and became very nice and kind to everyone. She was eventually adopted and continued to be kind and compassionate. To this day my grandmother is one of the nicest and giving people I know. Unfortunately, my grandmother did not have a resources or support while her isolation took place or while she was compensating for the isolation, she did it all on her own. She is an amazing lady!

I chose the country Mexico to research child stressors. I found that a big stressor for children living in Mexico is poverty. “More than 20 million children and adolescents in Mexico are estimated to live in poverty, and five million of them in extreme poverty” (UN News Centre, 2013). Poverty impacts children by limiting resources available, such as quality health care, nutritious food, adequate shelter, and education. “The study highlights how child poverty is very damaging to the individuals and the country overall. “When children live in poverty it can have an irreversible impact on their development, and increases the probability of being passed on to future generations,” UNICEF said in a news release” (UN News Centre, 2013). UNICEF is an organization trying to help minimize the harm of poverty on children in Mexico. “UNICEF is working to more fully understand how and where children are experiencing poverty, to allow a more nuanced set of policy responses in national mechanisms such as poverty-reduction strategies. UNICEF has various on-going projects and tools related to child poverty measurement and influencing policies and programming that address child poverty” (UNICEF, 2013). 

 

References:

UN News Centre. (2013). The Majority of Poor in Mexico are Children. Retrieved

from http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44549#.UpFzxI3HSM8

UNICEF. (2013). Child Poverty and Social Protection. Retrieved from

http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/index_childpoverty.html

Week 2

 Breastfeeding

     This week’s readings focused on public health topics that affect children’s development in different areas around the world. I chose the public heath topic of breastfeeding. I chose breastfeeding because I know the many benefits it provides a child’s development, and I am currently breastfeeding my 8 week old son. I also breastfed my toddler until he was 17 months and feel this is a significant reason why he is so healthy. I researched breastfeeding in Australia to study their recommendations and rates of occurrence over the years. The Australian Breastfeeding Association recommends women exclusively breastfeed for 6 months, then continue to breastfeed along with food until 2 years and beyond. Australians are unfortunately seeing a decrease in breastfeeding.  “Statistics from the 2010 Australian National Infant Feeding Survey indicate that 96% of mothers initiate breastfeeding. Thereafter, exclusive breastfeeding rates drop off. Less than half (39%) of babies are still being exclusively breastfed to 3 months (less than 4 months) and less than one quarter (15%) to 5 months (less than 6 months)” (Australian Breastfeeding Association, 2013). The Australian Breastfeeding Association explains all of the benefits to the child when breastfeeding takes place such as infection rate decrease, antibodies increased, more efficient immune system, along with benefits for the mother (less risk of breast cancer). My research on breastfeeding in other countries may not impact my future work as a public kindergarten teacher but it reinforces my strong belief and desire to nurse my own children.

 

Australian Breastfeeding Association. (2013). Breastfeeding Rates in Australia.

Retrieved from https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bf-info/general-breastfeeding-information/breastfeeding-rates-australia

Week 1

A home birth versus a controlled and/or clinical setting birth for expecting mothers can be a hard decision. It did surprise me that 100% of births in the United States do take place in a controlled setting where as outside of the United States the majority of births occur at home. The more I read during my last pregnancy I felt as if many more moms began talking as if they wanted a home birth. I think this would be a nice experience but I believe hospitals have made it a great experience for families also. I have had good experiences at hospitals and for me it was critical to be in that controlled environment each time due to complications.

            Thinking about a personal birthing experience, I think about my three deliveries. I have had two c-sections with my two boys and one vaginal stillbirth with my daughter. My first son was born two and half years ago and I feel as if I remember it like it was yesterday. A specific memory I have from this event was when I turned to my husband said we need to do what the doctors says and do a c-section. I remember feeling scared and unsure but knowing we needed to do it for the health of our son. Everything during surgery went well yet my son ended up in the NICU. I choose this event because it was my first personal experience with birth and it was an amazing life altering experience. A child’s development begins at birth. I believe a bond between a mother and child is the start for this development and is very important.

            I chose to research birthing in the country of Chile. I learned that there has been a rise in caesarean births over the years. The majority of these c-sections are taking place in public settings. It is believed that cultural factors have pushed the increasing rate. “A very hierarchical health system where users have no higher incidence, the idea that using more intervention is synonymous of better health care, the idea that birth is dangerous and must be controlled by specialists, and a great fear of childbirth in general (hazardous event) and pain during treatment, among others” (womendeliver.org). Chile is rated 4^th globally for c-section rates. Relating Chile’s preferred birth methods to my own personal experience there are some similarities and differences. I had two c-sections as many of the women in Chile do but I did not consent to the c-sections due to cultural beliefs. It was medically necessary for me.  I did find it interesting that the article states, “frequently in our caesareans: after birth the newborn child is almost immediately taken outside the pavilion” (womendeliver.org). This is different than my experience. My doctor and hospital are big believers in the mother and child bond. My first son due to medical reasons was not with me the entire time but my second son was with me and my husband the entire time with skin to skin and nursing as soon as I was able. I think this critical bonding time is important in a child’s development yet not damaging if it doesn’t happen.

http://www.womendeliver.org/updates/entry/voices-of-advocates-part-2-caesarean-births-chile