Childhood Stressors: Divorce & Hunger

Divorce

As a child, I experienced a childhood stressor that seems to go unnoticed. Divorce had a substantial impact on my psychosocial development as a young child. When looking at the children around me, I felt different because my parents were not together. I thought that my family was abnormal because my father lived in another state. I was reluctant to invite friends over my house because I thought they would view me negatively once they saw that I lived with my mother and grandmother.  There would be times when I wanted my father to be physically present, but he could not.

The resource that helped me to overcome this stressor was my extended family. My uncle, aunts, and grandmother would help by taking me to and from school. They also helped me complete homework assignments. My uncle would step up and take me to father/daughter events at my school. What helped me the most was the conversations I had with my mom and dad. They encouraged me, showed me love, and assured me that my family was not weird.  My dad visited me as often as he could. He even surprised me at school and all my friends saw that I had a father too! Although divorce is not the ideal situation for any child, family can help to overcome it.

Hunger

There are many children who experience stress because of hunger. In Africa, many children suffer from malnutrition and have died. It is obvious that starvation affects the bisocial development of children. The immune system is weakened and body growth is limited. However, malnutrition affects cognitive development as well. "Abraham Maslow suggested that for students to have energy for learning, their basic personal needs must be met" (Jones & Jones, 2004, p. 39). UNICEF is one organization that is making sure that the basic need of nutrition is being met in Africa. Not only do they provide food, but the organization also adds essential vitamins and minerals to the food. By fortifying foods, many illnesses and defects have been reduced.

To learn more about how UNICEF is fighting hunger visit:

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_23528.html

Reference

Jones, V. & Jones, L. (2004). Comprehensive classroom management (7^th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

        

Public Health: Immunization

Immunizations help the body fight diseases by allowing the immune system to produce antibodies that can fight the disease. Many diseases that were common in the past have been reduced due to immunization. When a child is vaccinated, it not only protects that child, but it also means that the people who come in contact with the child will not be exposed to diseases (Berger, 2009). In other words, it stops the spreading of diseases. However, even in the United States some children are not vaccinated on time or their parents have decided against it. It is becoming common in the United States for parents to refuse vaccinations because they believe that it causes autism in some children.

This shift in many parents thinking has made this topic meaningful to me. It is my belief that the complications associated with preventable diseases have far greater consequences than autism. It is senseless to put a child's life a risk simply because there is a possibility that he/she might have a form of autism. Furthermore, it has not been scientifically proven that immunizations actually cause autism in children.

When looking at another country like Brazil, vaccinations are not mandatory. However, some are provided for by the government. Other vaccinations are only given by private practices. There are no age limits set for doctor's appointments. This means that children can go to school without ever getting vaccinations. Consequently, diseases can be spread rapidly at schools to children who have not been vaccinated and even to adults.

By studying this topic, I understand how important immunizations are to the public. Not only is the child who has the disease affected, but everyone around the child could be at risk if they have not been vaccinated. This impacts my work because I am in close contact with children everyday. I need to make sure that I am vaccinated regularly for certain illness to protect myself and the children around me. I will also educate the administration at my school about how important it is to make sure that we require the children to have updated immunization records before enrolling. Additionally, I want to provide information to parents, that face economic issues, about where they can take their children to get immunizations for free.

References

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

http://saopaulo.angloinfo.com/information/68/toddlers.asp

The Birthing Experience

On October 13, 2008 I witnessed my first and so far only birth. My sister gave birth to a 7lb 13 oz baby boy at 7:13 p.m. The birth took place at a hospital with medical professionals. I waited at the hospital for hours to see my younger sister give birth. As soon as I left the room to go to the cafeteria, I got a call that I needed to get back to the room because he was coming. I dropped my food and rushed to the elevator. Thankfully, I made it in time to see him enter the world. He was very peaceful and did not cry immediately. (That didn't last for long.) After his mother and father held him they gave him to me. Today my nephew and I have a special relationship, and I believe it's because I was able to bond with him in those moments after his birth.

It is for this reason that I think the birthing process has an impact on child development. A baby begins to form a bond with his or her family instantly. These early interactions will go on to impact how the child responds to others in social situations like school. The healthy birth of a child also has biosocial implications. Physically, everyone wants to ensure that a healthy baby is delivered. Conditions such as Anoxia (lack of oxygen at birth) can affect brain development and impair learning later on in life.

The significance of the birthing process can further be seen when studying it in other countries. In parts of Indonesia a majority of women have their babies at home. The only assistance they have is through a Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA). The TBA has no professional medical training. They provide the women with herbal drinks and recite prayers during labor. They simply tell the women to push when they feel pain. Because of their lack of medical training many women and their babies die during delivery. UNICEF and other organizations have programs that educate expecting mothers and provide them with places to give birth where trained workers assist them. Although these programs have helped many women and babies, there is still more work to be done.

These birthing experiences are completely different. One was at a hospital with trained medical professionals, while the other took place in a home with a TBA. The births in Indonesia show me how serious the birthing process is and that it is truly a miracle. I believe that many Americans take the birthing process for granted because we see so many successful births. However, for women in other countries they actually fear the process because they know how serious it is and the dangers that come with it. Having a successful delivery and a healthy baby is truly a blessing.

I hope that you LEARNED from what I SHARED about the birthing process, and from that knowledge you will GROW!

For more information on births in Indonesia and what UNICEF is doing to help click on the link below:
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/indonesia_43515.html