Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

As children we all witness certain circumstances and situations that others around us may face.  I can remember being a child and being able to recognize that my cousin was being isolated by her mother.  She had five other siblings at the time and often times felt as though she was the “outcast” and didn’t fit in with her sisters and brothers.  She also felt that her mother did not love her as much as the others and she felt alone.  As a result of her feeling this way as a child and not receiving any help in this area, she still feels to this day that she is not a loved and valuable member in her family.  She separates herself from family functions and outings and drowns herself in her work instead of focusing on other important factors in life.  The way in which a child feels will affect the way in which they view life as an adult.  When children face such stressors, they are vulnerable and cannot fully understand why things happen the way they do. 

Since the start of the war I have been concerned about the stresses that children from that region face.  Known stressors that affect the life of children in Afghanistan are military violence, possibility of post traumatic stress, and trauma.  War affects us all but it affects children more.  Often time’s children witness this violence and may seem powerless to what can be done to save and protect their family.  War is a major factor and there must be some plans set in place to find possible solutions to such a horrible problem of children.  Soldiers are trying to limit the amount of violence that children experience but cannot fully prevent such stressors from occurring. 

ScienceDaily (2009 June 24). Afghani Children Suffering From Post-Traumatic Stress.  Retrieved on November 22, 2012, from www.sciencedaily.com.

Reference for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Kids Health. (2011). The Nemous Foundation.  Retrieved on 10 Nov 2012, from www.kidshealth.org.

The Lancet. (2010). Causes of deaths in children younger than 5 years in China in 2008, 375(9720).  Retrieved on 10 Nov 2012, from www.thelancet.com.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is death occurs when an infant is sleeping.  This is the leading cause of deaths for infants between the age of 1 month and 1 year old.  SIDS claims the lives of approximately 2,500 infants per year.  There is still great questions as to the cause of SIDS and is steadily being researched.  Researchers have however determined that infants should be placed on their backs to sleep rather on on their stomachs.  There is no single factor that can be contributed to SIDS, but most risk factors include:
stomach sleeping, poor prenatal care, premature birth, and tobacco exposure.  In order to reduce the SIDS, parents should: allow infants to sleep on a firm mattress, ensure immunizations are up to date, and put baby to bed with pacifier for up to 1 year of age.  Unlike the United States, China has a low percentage of deaths caused by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  Approximately 5 % of deaths of infants are the cause of SIDS.  This shows that there is a big gap in the way in which different societies and cultures use and pertain information.
Having just become a new aunt, this is very meaningful to me and I will be able to pass on vital and necessary information to new parents and mothers who are expecting.  The information can be life saving and be the difference between life and death!

Child Birth and Child Development

Approximately 20 years ago, I can vividly remember the birth of my second child.  I can remember thinking ahead of time that I knew what to expect and how I would deal with the pain and labor without any problems.  Unfortunately, I was wrong.  After two hours of labor, I realized that this birth would be very different from what I was expecting.  It all began when my son’s heart rate dropped and I was forced to have an emergency caesarian section.  I was afraid and only prepared to handle a natural birth.  I was very scared and was panicking.  I was finally calmed down and prepared myself to meet my second child.  When I woke up in recovery, all I could think of was seeing my beautiful baby boy.  I remember this particular event because it stresses that life throws us many different obstacles and the outcome depends upon the way in which you set your mind.  Birth is a very important factor in child development and it is a vital factor that must occur in development. 

The area that I chose to discuss is West Africa.  The childbirth tradition is focused on the mother squatting on the ground and be surrounded by her sisters and other women relatives.  Throughout the pregnancy, woman has midwives and they receive pay only if the birth is successful.  When the child comes into contact with the earth, it is a religious belief that the child will be blessed.  Having twins is considered a blessing from the gods. 

After finding information about this culture, I realized that we have many different beliefs and we do not all feel the same.  All children within our culture are considered blessings and that too is what West Africa has in common with our culture.

Reference

Hallgreen, R. West African Childbirth Traditions. Jordemodern. 1983 Nov 96(11).  Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.