Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Children are not strangers to stress. Over a significant span of human history they have been more often the victims of the slings and arrows of an uncaring society than recipients of its beneficent protection- Garmezy

I have a relative who experienced a lot of stressors as a young child. While being immature myself; I remember being there for her with open arms. Her household was very dysfunctional and chaotic. She was neglected by her mother and continuously sexually abused by her family member. Her mother was highly addicted to drugs and alcohol, and she was left to fend for herself a many of nights. Non-addicts have long wondered why addicts don’t “just quit.” Inherited biochemistry makes people vulnerable to various addictions (Berger, 2009). Anyone can abuse drugs and alcohol, but genes create an addictive pull that can be overpowering, extremely weak, or something in between (Berger, 2009).  I remember her asking the question “why won’t she just stop abusing drugs and love me like your mom loves you.” I never had an answer or words to mend her broken heart; however, I would always tell her that she is important to me. Her family has history with abusing drugs/ alcohol, and misusing prescription drugs as well. She would fight often with other kids and I knew she was needing to be loved and accepted by others due to lack of attachment and the feeling of being good enough from her mom. Berger teaches us that maltreated children typically are less friendly, more aggressive, and more isolated than other children (Berger, 2009).

            Later, she was taken away from her mother through Child Protective Services and placed with her aunt.  Berger explained three levels of Prevention; tertiary prevention includes everything intended to reduce harm when maltreated has already occurred (Berger, 2009). Luckily for her, someone saw enough abuse and decided to take the first steps and reported the abuse to authority. Children need a caregiver they trust, in a safe and stable environment, whether they live with their biological parents, with a foster family, or with an adoptive family (Berger, 2009). She began to cope with the stress surrounding her by becoming active in sports and drill team in school. She began learning from her peers how to form rapport and how to build her social skills.

            Every year, more than 200 million children under five years old fail to reach their full cognitive and social potential. Most of these children live in South Asia and Saharan Africa. As a result of poor development, many children are likely to underachieve in school and subsequently to have low incomes as adults. As adults, they are also likely to have children at a very early age, and provide poor health care, nutrition and stimulation to their children, thus contributing to the intergenerational transmission of poverty and poor development (WHO, 2012). South African children and adolescents are exposed to high levels of HIV/AIDS, poverty, violent trauma with a significant proportion developing Post-traumatic stress disorder (Holdford, 1993). Since they were first adopted, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have raised awareness to help alleviate a few stressors that children face day to day.

Reference:

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

Publishers.

Smith C, Holford Post-traumatic stress disorder: South Africa’s children and adolescents.

Southern African Journal of child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1993;5:57-69.

Child Decelopment and Public Health- Access to Healthy Water

The place where a child is born will be determinant in her life and death. If she sees the first day of light in a household without running water and a toilet facility, she will be more likely to die from risks associated to poor environmental conditions (Fuentas, 2006). I chose this topic because access to healthy water is vital and it is essential to our health and well-being. We will not adequately thrive without having connections to clean water. Interestingly enough South Africa boast one of the most clean water systems in the world; however, due to the lack of sanitation and access in the country's rural communities the threat of water borne disease is steadily increasing. The Vaal River, the largest river in South Africa is becoming increasingly contaminated with fecal material due to the lack of sanitation supplies (The Water Project, 2006-2012). Women are traditionally responsible for collecting water in South Africa. The walk may take hours to and from; however, it is still not enough water to abundantly care for a household. This topic is meaningful to me because water is regarded as a human right in our country as well as in South Africa. It saddens me to know that children are at risks of deprivation of healthy water. As simple as it may sound, some countries cannot provide their families with something as plain as clean water. Children should not have to worry about where their next glass of water will come from; however, the problem exists. I always admired those who visited other countries as well as calling upon the issues in the United States, and implementing methods to help decrease the problems that children experience in regards to their health and well-being. I am even more encouraged to implement ways on how I can make a difference and help a child in need, in order to improve their lifestyle and environment.


Reference:
        
          Ricardo Fuentes, Tobias Pfutze and Papa Seck (2006). Does Access to Water and Sanitation Affect Child Survival? A Fiv Country Analysis. Human Development Report, 2006.

          Water in Crisis- Spotlight South Africa www.thewaterproject.org/water-in-crisis-south-africa.php

Childbirth in Your Life and Around the World

A personal birthing experience that I remember so well is the birth of my son. I remember being a little nervous because I didnt know what to expect and/or the level of pain that I may endured. I was scheduled for a C-section and arrived to the hospital a day before for preparation. I chose this as my example because my son means the world to me and I believe bringing him into this world and seeing him for the first time was the best time in my life. Having birth to a child is the most precious moment that a family may experience. The way the body works to prepare for the birthing event is amazing. A newborn learns to breathe, suck, etc, immediately coming into this world; and that child will continue to develop and learn throughout their lifetime as well.

The country that I chose to find out how births happen is South Africa. In rural areas, mothers may give birth in community health centres and/or district hospitals; however, these do have high maternal mortality rates. In more populated areas it is usual to go to provincial tertiary and national central hospitals where wards can be crowded. Mothers may also give birth at home. Mothers stay in the hospital for post-natal checks and until a paediatrician has seen the baby. In the private sector, mothers have the option of giving birth in a hospital or at home. It is necessary to discuss options with the private healthcare facility. I have realized that the births in South Africa are similiar to the birthing in the USA.