Effects of Stressors on Children

Personal story of childhood stressors:

I am very fortunate to have had a fairly ‘stressor free’ childhood.  However I know that this is often not the case.  In my work as a teacher, I encounter children year after year who are victims of abuse, neglect, and exposure to drugs.  One student that I currently have has been exposed to all of the above.  We are currently working with the Division of Family Services to improve her living conditions.  Upon starting kindergarten, this child did not speak at all.  We were questioning rather or not there were cognitive, language, and/or speech concerns.  Discussing this with her mother was very difficult, as the first two phone numbers we were given were disconnected (this is often the case.)  When we finally made contact with her mother, she described her as a quite child, but said she most certainly could talk.  She was not very forthcoming with information, and was resistant to our efforts of bringing her in for a conference.  Slowly, this child began talking, just to me and the other children who sat at her table.  About a month into the school year, her mother was arrested for dealing drugs.  We then discovered that this child spends almost all of her time in her room by herself.  She has been told by her mother not to talk to other adults.  One reason she was given is because ‘adults are bad and want to take you away from me.’  Because of this, the child does have some language delays, and has extreme emotional and trust issues.  While these types of situations occur often in the district I teach, it is heartbreaking each time.

Stressors in other regions of the world:

Haiti has always been a poor country, but the recent earth has left this region of the world devastated.   Currently, more than 80% of the people living in Haiti live in poverty (Living Hope Haiti Christian Mission, 2010).  They are considered to be the 3^rd hungriest country in the world.  Children are still separated from their families, and for many youngsters, this is their ‘normal,’ and the only life they know.  It is hard for us as Americans to imagine children taking care of other children, living in tents, missing limbs, and not knowing if they will ever see their families again, yet this is how the majority of Haitian children are living.  Initially after the earthquake there was an outpour of donations from around the world.  While those have slowed down, there are still several organizations and individuals helping to rebuild Haiti, such as Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, and many others.  There is still much work to be done to rebuild Haiti, and they need the help and assistance of the entire world to do so. 

Sources:  Living Hope Haiti Christian Mission. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.livinghopehaiti.com/

Immunizations

Health Topic of Interest:  Immunizations are used to prime the immune system of the body to resist a specific fatal or contagious disease.  Illnesses such as pneumonia and measles were once responsible for many deaths and other serious complications in children, however immunizations have drastically improved human mortality and protected against these and other illnesses. 

Personal Connection:  The reason that this topic is meaningful to me has to do with the work I have done in the field of Autism.  For eight years I worked as a behavioral therapist for preschool children with Autism.  About three years into that work, I began hearing about a link of vaccinations to autism.  I was astonished to find that parents (especially those who already have an older child with autism) were not vaccinating their babies because of it.  I just kept thinking, “Really, you would rather your child die of a disease than have a disability?”  As a person who has seen the potential of people with autism to lead a happy, productive life, I just couldn’t understand what these parents were thinking.  I understand that there is a lot of pain, guilt, anger, and need to blame in finding out your child has a disability, but risking death?  So, as I often do with issues that intrigue me, I decided to learn more about the topic.  I found that there was never any medical proof of this to be true.  More recently, we have all learned that it was a complete falsification by an unstable person in the medical field.  How tragic that all of these children are susceptible to deadly illnesses for no reason!

Immunizations around the world:  Immunizations are used globally in almost all developed counties.  However poorer and less developed countries still have higher rates of infant mortality, as health care there is often a lesser quality.

Future Work:  Although I do not now, nor do I ever plan to work directly with babies, my coworkers, parents of my students, and friends know that I am educated in early childhood, and often come to me with questions and advice.  I plan to, as I always have, encouraged everyone to have their children immunized, as to me, not doing so seems quite neglectful!

Personal Birthing Experience

Due to the fact that I do not have kids, nieces, or nephews of my own (yet), I do not have many birthing experiences to draw from.  I have been told quite a bit about my own birth, though.  Apparently, after having a quick, easy, and timely delivery with my older sister, I gave my parents a bit more trouble.   I was due to be born on April 20^th; however, my mom did not actually deliver until May 3^rd.   As my mother tells me often, this was the first sign of my extreme stubbornness!  My mom had gone to the hospital thinking she was in labor three times prior to my actual delivery.  On the day of my birth, she went in, and the doctors tried to send her home, ensuring her that it was not time yet.  My mother new better, and waited in the hospital emergency room for about an hour before going into labor.  Once she started, it all happened in just a few hours, so she and my dad were very happy that she refused to leave the hospital.  Knowing my mom, I’m sure she was quick to say “I told you so” to the doctors.  Other than the umbilical cord being wrapped around my neck (which is very common and was not alarming to the doctors), my birth was very normal once it finally happened.  I was lucky to have no complications occur during my birth, because as I have learned, they can affect development in several ways.

Childbirth and Pregnancy in China

The differences in childbirth in china begin during pregnancy.  The Chinese have several customs during this time.  For example, pregnant women are encouraged to continue working throughout their entire pregnancy.  It is thought that this will ease labor and delivery.  Along with this, there are several rules and guidelines for pregnant women to follow, such as not walking around barefoot.  Rubbing the abdomen to often is also frowned on, as it is believed to result in an over demanding child.  The majority of care and support to pregnant women in China is seen as the responsibility of the mother-in-law rather than the husband.  It is very important in China for a family to have a male heir in their family, as women cannot inherit or carry on the traditions of the family.  This is because Chinese women are made to move in with their husband’s family at marriage, and must conform to their ways.   This results in parents seeing female children as ‘temporary family members,’ because they will someday leave their own family to join another, whereas male children are seen as ‘permanent family members.’ 

As a born and raised American who believes in gender equality, I was first taken aback by the customs of Chinese pregnancy.  However I always attempt to accept other cultures, rather than judge.  This is their way, and has worked for them for centuries.  It seems to be the practice of Americans to think that our way is superior to that of other countries.  I personally try to avoid that thinking, as many of these other countries that we choose to judge have been thriving long before our country was even established.

References:  http://www.chinesefolkculture.com/info_view.asp?id=1313