Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development

“Every 6 seconds a child dies from hunger-related causes,” That’s all I needed to hear to jump into action.  

In March of 2011, I had the opportunity to the volunteer for a food packing event. We packaged dried foods to feed the hungry kids in Haiti. By myself I cannot solve world hunger, but I was able to contribute my time to combat this problem and it was very fulfilling.

The organization responsible for this event was Kids Against Hunger. Kids Against Hunger is a non-profit organization dedicated to solicit donations to target child hunger in the USA and worldwide. These 25 cent meals provided all the nourishment that is needed to reverse the starvation epidemic and restore the health and well being of the children.

This  picture shows a child who benefitted from the meals provided through this organization. Prior to receiving these nutritious meals, he was limp, weak, and unable to walk; severely undernourished. In the “after” picture, he is clearly strong enough to stand, and much more alert & aware.

This is just one example of a typical case in Haiti. Life expectancy is short since malnutrition is rampant, and with that, sickness and disease permeates the nation. This young boy fully recovered and continues to flourish today. He now has hope for a brighter future, or simply put, a future.

... but what does life look like for a child in Haiti who is not as fortunate as this one?

Haiti is a poverty-stricken country and so many children are forced to become house slaves from as young as 4 years old to as long as their 18^th birthday. Most of these children are girls. Children withstand verbal, physical and sexual abuse for many years just to be able to afford food, and survive.

Many children are either still born, have deformities or live poorly nourished lives before they are forced to succumb to the same circumstances as their parents and forefathers. Then the cycle continues...

Education, although important, becomes the least of their concern. These kids therefore grow up with no skills and very underdeveloped cognitive abilities due to both poor nutrition and lack of education. This, coupled with the harsh realities of the lives they have to live, diminishes their ability to be functioning and functional social beings. The streets become their home and they more or less wait for fate to take its course.

http://www.kidsagainsthunger.org/our_testimonials.shtml

http://www.thejuliaproject.com/haitian-children.html

To breast-feed or to bottle-feed, that's the question...

In science class we all learned that breast feeding was always the right way to go. Itcontained the right amount of nutrients  for the baby to develop healthily, it was always at the correct temperature, it was free,  and it was on demand; a hungry baby did not have to wait 5 minutes until a bottle f ormula was made.   The advantages of breast feeding are many, but there over the years I have learnt that are also several drawbacks

Benefits of breast feeding

-Fewer digestive upsets
-Less spitting up
-Less diarrhea
-Less constipation
-Less chance of allergies developing
-Fewer skin rashes
-Fewer weight problems
-Smarter baby
-Convenient for mother
-Closer mom and baby bond
-Cheaper
-Travel is lighter (won't need to pack formula, bottles and water in diaper bag)
-Father doesn't have to get up in the middle of the night
-Mothers uterus returns to normal size a lot faster
-Takes calories to breast feed, which means the mom loses weight quicker.

             Arguments against breast feeding

-Biting
-Lack of privacy in public setting
-Mom has to be careful not to injest certaing fods, drinks and medicines
-Not much alone time for mom; she has to constantly be available for feedings
-Mom will not have a  period but could ovulate and get pregnant
-"Let down reflex" ( milk may be available even when the baby isn’t hungry)

Advantages of bottle feeding formula

-other people can feed the baby
-Easy and less embarrassing to do in public
-Mom can eat what she wants

Disadvantages of bottle feeding formula
-More time consuming (heating and making the bottle
-Expensive
-Mom will miss the special closeness of breastfeeding
-Easier for baby to gain weight-sometimes too much.

Although there are sound arguments for and against both breast feeding and bottle feeding, the “breast is best” (Berger). In countries like Africa where HIV is rampant, or in instances where the mother abuses drugs and alcohol, research has shown that breast feeding is still the best route to go. The risk of the baby catching HIV from the mother’s milk is “less than their risk of dying from infections, diarrhea, or malnutrition as a result of occasional bottle-feeding” (Cohen, 2007).

In those rear cases where the mother is unable to breast feed for whatever reason, the parents should partner closely with a pediatrician for advice on what formula  would meet the baby’s needs at each stage of development, and also any additional supplements that may be needed. As a future advocate in the early childhood field, I have plans to provide parents with the education that they need for proper childcare. I will inform them that, prior to enrolling them in a childcare institution, there are certain important practices that will help guarantee their child’s healthy development. One such practice is breast feeding.

Berger, K. (2005). The Developing Person through Childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY:
Worth.

http://www.infobarrel.com/Advantages_and_Disadvantages_of_Breastfeeding_and_Formula

Childbirth

Two of my closest friends, the Sanchez’s gave birth to their first child about 4 years ago this time. We shared a great friendship and I loved then dearly, so needless to say, I stayed very close to them during this stressful time to lend a hand wherever I could. Around her 39^th week, Stephanie would walk (waddle) around the block daily, while taking periodic stops to catch her breath. She never complained about pain, but gross discomfort. Around 5pm on her due date, Stephanie started having contractions and although they had prepared for this moment, in a quick frenzy, they grabbed everything and rushed off to the hospital.

At the hospital  It was saddening to see Stephanie tossing and turning  in her bed all while listening to painful screams from the expectant mothers in the surrounding rooms. I left at 1pm that night and returned with flowers bright and early the next morning. I was excited to see baby Heather. I practically ran to the hospital room. Luckily I was not seen by any nurses or worse, by security… I burst through the doors with a big smile of expectancy, only to see and hear things just the way I left them. Four long hours later Stephanie was only 4 centimeters dilated. After about an hour there still wasn’t much progress but the doctor observed that the baby was in distress. A sonogram revealed that the umbilical cord was wrapped around Heather’s neck. Within 5 minutes she was off to emergency c-section and Heather breathed her first breath that afternoon at 3pm. What a relief for everyone. Stephanie was still in tears, but this time, the were tears of joy.

I never shared this with Stephanie, but I always asked myself, “What would have happened if we lived in a country or a culture where home births were the norm? No one would know the baby was in distress. We would just continue to wait for full dilation and during this time Heather would have most likely died. Instead Heather is a healthy 4 year old, running around driving her parents crazy; but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Comparing Birth Practices

            I recently read In “Protecting Your Wife in Childbirth,” where David Crank discusses how in 1973,  the us had infant mortality rate of 18.5%, with Sweden, Finland, Japan and the Netherlands averaging 11.5% and less. Countries with lower rates he states, experience this because mothers are under the care of professionally trained midwives who advise the on birthing practices. In midwifery, no medicines are used, since they could potentially harm the baby. and doctors are involved only when complications are expected.

This same article also lists some of the many differences between US birthing practices and their cultures.

1)  Anesthesia can affect the  respiratory system and may sometimes cause brain damage in the child.

    2) Using medicines to induce labor  can  increase the chances of premature births. Too much of this medicine  can also  increase risks of separation of the placenta, scarring of the cervix and birth canal, postpartum hemorrhage and uterine rupture.


   3) If Stephanie had been encouraged to constantly walk around until the very last moment, she may have had the chance to deliver naturally and at the same time be distracted from all her discomfort..

  4) Stephanie did not eat for a day and a half and obviously wasn’t as strong as usual. In other developed countries most women are allowed to eat and drink lightly during labor, helping to maintain their strength and comfort.

 5).Gravity aides the birthing process tremendously. Trying to  give birth while laying flat on her back worked against Stephanie for several reasons. Her blood pressure elevated and her contractions were weak.
http://www.unlessthelordmagazine.com/articles/protecting_your_wife_in_childbir.htm