Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development

I chose to do my Blog on poverty I haven’t been affected by this personal but it’s something that been going on in our cultural for generations after generations.    In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared war on American soil: the War on Domestic Poverty. Since then, hundreds of billions of dollars have flowed from the U.S. government to large and small towns across America. Our government has provided free food, repaired dilapidated homes and furnished jobs to those in need.  Government agencies have indeed provided millions of Americans with much needed aid. Nevertheless, our country has not won the War on Poverty. In 1996, millions more Americans lived in poverty than in 1964. A 1996 Fordham University report says that the country's social well-being has reached its lowest point in a quarter century, with children and young people suffering the most.

Unfortunately, not all of America's poor have been so fortunate. According to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau in September 1996, 13.8% of Americans live in poverty. Many more are on the borderline. Poverty affects all ages, but an astonishing 48% percent of its victims are children:

·         About 15 million children -- one out of every four -- live below the official poverty line.

·         22% of Americans under the age of 18 -- and 25% under age 12 -- are hungry or at the risk of being hungry.

·         Everyday 2,660 children are born into poverty; 27 die because of it.

·         Children and families are the fastest growing group in the homeless population, representing 40%.

Even a small amount of your time can make a big difference for a child. And society benefits, too. Crime rates decline; youngsters become better educated and then see their futures with more optimistic eyes.

How Poverty Affect Children in Africa

Poverty in Africa means more than not being able to pay the bills on time. It means lack of education and jobs, poor or nonexistent health care and sanitation, vulnerability to disease, hunger and often, death. It is impossible to describe the effects of the widespread poverty in Africa without also discussing the causes to some degree, because one of the main effects of poverty is to perpetuate the problems that cause it. The statistics are chilling. One in three Africans do not have enough food to eat, and for the majority of these people, chronic malnutrition is a life-threatening fact of everyday life. Lack of food for pregnant mothers leads to low birth weights and high infant mortality. In the Sudan, 90 of every 1000 children die by age 5. In Ethiopia the figure is 164 per 1000, compared with a norm of 4-6 per thousand in industrialized nations. For adults, lack of food and money means lack of health care, made even more dangerous by living conditions marked by lack of clean water and adequate sanitation. The effects of poverty are not limited to hunger and disease; these are only the most obvious consequences. For most children in Africa, education is limited if they receive any schooling at all. On average, 62 percent of children in Africa do not complete primary school, and in 19 nations the figure is under 50 %. Literacy rates are low. For example, Kenya at 77% and Zimbabwe at 85 % are among a handful of nations with fairly good literacy rates. More common are literacy rates well under 50%, including Ethiopia at 33%, Gambia (39%), Mali (32%, and Niger (13%). As each generation grows up, the lack of education means another opportunity to break the cycle of poverty is lost. Those who do get good educations tend to leave Africa altogether, frustrated by the lack of opportunity to use their skills.

SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME

SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME
In my reading on the subject of SIDS, I found that SIDS deaths are not related to any kind of diseases or there is no kind of warning signs to prevent this from happening to infants in the United States or in other countries. I was so amazed how the researchers said to lay a baby on their backs instead of their stomachs. When I was having children laying a baby on their stomachs were the appropriate way. I have learned that in order to prevent SIDS, you should not smoke during pregnancy or around the baby, limited caffeine intake, don’t put blankets on babies. Do not sleep with baby in the same bed as others. Put babies to bed with a pacifier. You should breast feed babies instead of bottle feeding them. Researchers say boys are more likely to die from SIDS than girls. I found out that babies in Japan and the Netherlands have the lowest SIDS cases. Statistics show that Sudden infant death syndrome have a decrease in the death of infants in the United States and other countries, like Japan have a 30% decline and the Netherlands and Norway have an 82% decline in death rates We can teach new parents-to-be about the facts and statistics about the danger in smoking and drinking alcohol while pregnant to help them know more about SIDS, and to help them to protect their babies.

My most memorable moment in time

 

My first birth experience was in 1977, I remember this, like it happen just yesterday. I was young when I first gave birth to my 7lbs. 4 1/2 oz. little bundle of joy. When I first went into labor, I thought I was having cramps, they kept getting harder and harder. then my water broke, my mother told me that I was about to have my baby. I stayed in labor for twelve hours. The doctor thought that I was going to have to have a ceasean section, but thank GOD, that I didn't. I remember the doctor telling me to push, push. Then he told me to stop. I chose my first birth experience beacuse I wanted to share my story with my collagues.My thougths about births and the impact on child development is, it gives you the insights on how amazing  infants grow to toddlers, and then into adulthood.

 

I chose the country Brazil, because the culture of the Caesarean is done in this country like it is in the Unites States. In much of the world, the procedure is intended only for high-risk pregnancies. Here, Caesareans is  removing a baby through an incision in the abdominal wall have come to be seen by many women as modern and desirable, as opposed to normal childbirth. Part of this is driven by Brazil's male doctors, because their decisions are not questioned by patients.

The cultural phenomenon are two fundamental issues is  time and money. Doctors say they often find it more convenient to schedule a Caesarean rather than let nature take its course. In different parts of Brazil, caesarean sections are planned for Friday afternoons. They nicknamed it the Beach Caesarean sections because doctors don't want to be distrubed on the weekend. The Brazilian doctors are put on salaries for deliverying babies.