Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Stressors I experienced as a child were through natural disasters of tornados and flooding. As a child, I lived in a small rural town. I remember one Spring our town and the surrounding smaller towns experienced flooding. I remember our family letting other people affected the most by the flooding stay at our house. My family also helped fill bags full of sand and deliver them to places close to the rising rivers. I do not remember feeling scared about the flooding, but feeling a sense of excitement and urgency.

Another natural disaster I experienced as a child was a tornado going through our small town. I remember feeling scared during the time the tornado went through as we waited with a flashlight in our basement for the tornado to pass. We were fortuneate that the only damage our house receieved was one of our trees falling into a side of the house and busting an upstairs window. I believe I coped with these stressors well because I had the support of my family and the community of people who reached out to help and work together.

I would like to learn more about stressors affecting European countries, such as noise. I learned the European Commission, which governs the European Union (E.U.), considers living near an airport to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, as increased blood pressure from noise pollution can trigger these more serious maladies. The E.U. estimates that about 80 million people are exposed to airport noise levels and considers this to be unhealthy and unacceptable. In addition, airport noise can also have negative effects on children’s health and development. A study examining the impact of airport noise on children’s health found higher blood pressure in kids living near Los Angeles’ LAX airport than in those living farther away. Moreover, a 1995 German study found a link between chronic noise exposure at Munich’s International Airport and elevated nervous system activity and cardiovascular levels in children living nearby. And a 2005 study published in the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, found that kids living near airports in Britain, Holland and Spain lagged behind their classmates in reading by two months for every five decibel increase above average noise levels in their surroundings. The study also associated aircraft noise with lowered reading comprehension, even after socio-economic differences were considered. The best efforts made to reduce this pollution is to limit airport expansions and campaigns are done to educate the public on this issue.
                                                                                                             (What are the Health..., 2013)

Reference

What are the Health Effects of Airport Noise and Airport Pollution? Airport noise and pollution linked to increased health problems. (2013). Retrieved from http://environment.about.com/od/pollution/a/airport_noise.htm

Child Development and Public Health (SIDS)

I chose the topic of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  I chose this topic because the United States' SIDS rate is still too high and so I wanted to learn about a country with a very low SIDS rate.  I learned that Japan, another industrialized country like the United States, not only has one of the lowest infant mortality rates (less than 3 infants per 1000 live births compared with around 7 for the United States), but is a country of the lowest SIDS rates in the world (between .2 and .3 babies per 1000 live births compared with approximately .5 per 1000 infants for the US) (McKenna, 2013).  The Japan SIDS Family Organization reported that SIDS rates continue to decline in Japan as maternal smoking is almost non-existent and exclusive breastfeeding reaches up to 75 % (McKenna, 2013).  Additionally, one report shows that as bedsharing and breastfeeding increased and as maternal smoking decreased, SIDS rates decreased. This suggests yet again that it is not necessarily bedsharing, but how it is practiced, that can be dangerous (McKenna, 2013).  In all, there are many factors associated with SIDS. Other potential risk factors include: smoking, drinking, or drug use during pregnancy poor prenatal care prematurity or low birth weight mothers younger than 20 tobacco smoke exposure following birth overheating from excessive sleepwear and bedding stomach sleeping                                                                               (Kids Health, 2013) This is one topic I definitely want to know more about as it could greatly impact my work with children.  I will have a center that accepts young children as young as 6 weeks of age.  Knowing more about SIDS will help me minimize risks associated with SIDS and maximize children's safety from 6 weeks of age to 12 months of age.  I will continue to learn more about this topic and share what I know with families as well.  References Kids Health (2013).  SIDS.  Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sids.html McKenna, James J. (2013).  Cosleeping Around the World.  Natural Child Organization.  Retrieved from http://www.naturalchild.org/james_mckenna/cosleeping_world.html

Childbirth Around the World

Middle Eastern Patients:  Pregnancy and Childbirth  

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Pre-natal care depends on financial stability.  The expectant mother is encouraged to eat a well balanced meal and rest adequately.

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A midwife or physician is acceptable at birth.  It is preferred that it be a female.

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In some cultures the man is not present at birth, while in others he is encouraged to be present.  Female members of the family are present during the birth for support to the mother.

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If there is a problem with the baby, the best person to speak with would be the father, because he usually has final say in medical outcome.

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The male is always circumcised, usually before departure from hospital, or if Muslim, seven days after birth.  In some families it is recognized as a period of festivity.

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Women are encouraged to breast feed, breast feeding usually takes place for one year.

Source: Middle Eastern Patients (2013). Retrieved from http://members.tripod.com/mattmiller_16/id5.htm

     According to the above Website, Middle Eastern women are also encouraged to live healthy lifestyles and get plenty of rest such like my sister and other women where I live.  Women also seek medical professionals during pregnancy and delivery and are also encouraged to breastfeed their babies.  One main difference between the Middle East culture and my own birthing experience story, is that men, usually the father of the baby, are encouraged to be present during the birth of their baby and both parents usually have a say in their baby's final medical outcome. 

Childbirth in My Life

     Although I have given birth to three children myself, my sister's recent birthing experience comes to mind when I think about the influences of child development.  My sister was 43 years old when she gave birth to her first, and probably only, child.  Her son was born a month early early due to complications with my sister's blood pressure.  About two weeks prior to being diagnosed with high blood pressure, my sister mentioned how bloated and tired she felt to me, as well as a picture of her swollen foot via cell phone.  And, from my own experience of pregnancies and typical bloating from being pregnant, I quickly determined her bloating was not normal and suggested she go to her doctor immediately.  When she called to make an appointment with her doctor, the doctor told her it was probably not necessary for her to come in and that bloating was common.  I still insisted my sister make the appointment and at the very least told her to get her blood pressure checked.  My sister did not insist on making the appointemt with her doctor, but did have her blood pressure checked and discovered it was dangerously high.  With such high blood pressure her doctor put her on medication and ordered bed rest.  During the two weeks of bedrest, my sister's high blood pressure continued to be dangerously high and her doctor made the decision to take the baby a month early by C-section.  My nephew was fortunately born healthy and my sister's health improved. 

     I chose my sister's birth as an example because of the timing of it.  My sister was an older mother and was having complications that could harm both her and the baby by damaging the placenta and my sister's organs.  I think sometimes we need to seek the advice and/or services of a variety of people to gain a better idea of when and how we should react to our circumstances, especially when it is a new experience.