Consequences of Stress on a Child's Development

When I was in college, during my teaching program I had a 90-hour practicum placement in a classroom for the emotionally and behaviorally challenged. The children in the classroom ranged from grades Kindergarten through fourth grade. There was a first grade boy in the class that had, on numerous occasions, gone without shelter and food for days on end when he was a toddler. He lived with his father, often in a car, and his mother had run off. Because he experienced the trauma of starving almost to death, and suffered from severe neglect, he was unable to regulate emotion, and was constantly caught stealing and hoarding food. Though for the couple of years he had been in school he experienced a sense of stability and received food from government programs, he was emotionally scarred. The boy would hardly eat his breakfast or lunch, but would go into a panic and tantrum if the food was taken off his desk. For years he struggled to maintain relationships with peers and adults, experience academic success, and be healthy (since he refused to eat regularly). In his mind, he was always prepared to be abandoned and without food. . Through the help of the EBD classroom teacher, a therapist, and the food program, stability was brought back to him. Even though I now work in the school district he attended, he has moved on, and through the high turnover rate the EBD program has, there is not a staff member left that would have known him.

Bangladesh has a population of 150 million people, almost half (49%) of the population living below the poverty line. There are programs that help countries like Bangladesh in many ways. The Hunger Project teaches people how to be leaders and grow sustainable crops to help end their hunger. Through youth leadership, education is brought to children in rural areas whose families are too poor to afford books and uniforms required by Bangladesh’s free education. Through outreach groups and programs, children and adults are learning the importance of education, as well as how to be self-reliant and sustainable. They are being empowered to better the lives of themselves and their children. This is important work, because in Bangladesh the majority of the population lives in rural areas, where floods and droughts affect the seasonal farming they must make a living from. Women, who are still discriminated against, often suffer the worst if they become widowed or their husbands leave to find employment. They are unable to provide for their children, who often go without education, medical care, and thus continue the cycle of chronic poverty.

Sources:

http://www.thp.org/where_we_work/south_asia/bangladesh

http://www.africaw.com/forum/f2/extreme-poverty-and-hunger-in-bangladesh-today-t2098/

Child Development and Public Health

Immunizations are an important aspect of public health. Diseases that were once fatal, such as measles, whooping cough, and pneumonia, are now infrequent among developed nations. Most children in the U.S. have received all their immunizations by the time they are 2 years old and, though children do not have to be immunized to attend public schools, parents must sign a waiver stating their children have not had their vaccinations.  This topic interests me, because there are currently debates among professionals and concerns among parents that vaccinations can have ill side effects, such as autism. Though I have heard of strong correlations, there are also several studies disproving this. Regardless, the benefits to the individual and the public both outweigh the risk of possible side effects. Immunizations not only protect the child, but those who are not able to get immunized, such as people with weak immune systems and pregnant women’s fetuses.

In December of 2011 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported of a measles outbreak in European countries. This outbreak underscores the importance of vaccinations throughout Europe. It was reported that 90% of those who contracted measles had never been vaccinated or had no history of vaccinations. This outbreak was connected to measles outbreaks in other countries, such as Canada, Australia, and Brazil. WHO stated that this demonstrates a continued need for parent education about immunization, as well as reaching out to susceptible populations. This highlights the importance of immunizations not only for the individual, but the general population as well.

I work in a classroom of young children with varying disabilities. Though I work with no children who are “medically fragile” I do come into contact with children who have weak immune systems and get sick easily. I was vaccinated as a young child, but do not keep current on flu shots or tetanus shots, and have never had my Hepatitis B vaccination. Upon learning more about the importance of vaccinations, I realize that it is not only my health that may be at risk, but those of the children I work with as well.

References:

Berger, K.S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5^th ed.) New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

World Health Organization. (2011, November 2). European countries must take action now to prevent continued measles outbreaks in 2012. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/immunization/newsroom/press/european_countries_action_measles_outbreaks_2012/en/index.html

Birth Story and Comparison

I have only closely experienced one birth, the birth of my niece, Charlotte. Her mother, Kat, is my identical twin sister. Kat discovered she was pregnant at just a few weeks, and regularly saw a doctor who practices both natural and western medicine, a chiropractor, and an acupuncturist. Her husband and she had planned the baby, and attended birthing classes together to learn about the prenatal and labor experiences. Kat’s labor and delivery went very smoothly, aided with an epidural, and then later some medicine to speed along the dilation. The baby was very healthy and of average size and weight.

The experience began with a 1:00 a.m. phone call from my mother. Kat’s labor had started, so we began the one and one half hour drive up to the hospital. Kat had decided she wanted her husband, my, and our mother in the room for her delivery. Throughout the 24-hour labor we stayed in her room, except for a couple quick trips to the cafeteria. According to the nurse and midwife, her labor was very average. Kat was going through something none of us in the room had. My mom had never gone through labor, as all her children were scheduled or emergency C-Sections. When Kat delivered the baby, I was right there holding up one leg (Mom was the moral support and hand holder, Kat’s husband was the other stirrup). Kat was able to hold Charlotte for a good 20 minutes before they took her for all the little tests and whatnot, and then was quickly returned. Kat and the baby were released from the hospital after 24 hours, and she was on unpaid maternity leave for 3 months. Had she not returned to work by the end of the 3 months, she would have lost her health benefits. Her husband received 3 days of paternity leave.

The whole experience made the concept of birth a reality. So much of what we think about many things in life are colored by media or extreme stories of colleagues (like when you have to get your wisdom teeth taken out, and someone always tells you some horror story about their experience). Though Kat holds a good job (as a public school teacher) and her husband is successful at his job (a sales rep), they felt they had to financially prepare themselves for a 3 month loss of a salary, which when living in an expensive city, can be hard to do. Aside from financial strain, Kat would have been alone with a newborn after 3 days, if her husband had not been able to use his vacation days to extend his paternity leave. Though there are laws that protect women from losing their jobs when taking time to have a baby, I feel the in the U.S. many employers and insurance offer bare minimums to families.

I researched birthing practices in Germany, and found notable similarities between giving birth in Germany vs. the U.S.

In Germany, employers and health insurance companies pay maternity payments. Here in the U.S. when on maternity leave, often there is no pay to go with it.

Prenatal exams are done regularly in both countries, by midwives or doctors. If the mother does not have insurance to pay for these exams, welfare covers it.

German insurance covers up to 12 visits from a midwife, and also pays for visits from the midwife up to 10 days after the baby is born.

As in the U.S. births in Germany can take place at hospitals, birthing centers, or home. The hospitals in the U.S. will release mothers and their babies after 24 hours. German hospitals will keep mothers and their babies 3 to 5 days unless the mother opts for an “out-patient” birth, in which they are released after 4 hours.

In Germany mothers may receive 6 weeks of maternity leave before the birth and 12 weeks after birth. In the U.S. maternity leave lasts 3 months and there are no rights to payments.  In addition to maternity leave, Germany offers parental leave, which is the right for a parent to leave work until the child is 3 years old. Though no salary is paid, the employer must keep the job position open for the parent to return to.

The maternity and parental leave options in Germany hold employers to maintain a focus on the importance of family, fostering healthy development, and the building of strong family connections.

Information found at http://berlin.angloinfo.com/countries/germany/birth.asp