Consequences Of Stress on Children's Development

 

RACISM

 

 

               Growing up in a all black community I was always faced with this stressor and so was my other relatives. When I grew up in the 70's my dad had been in the Military, went to college and taught school. What I remember like it was yesterday is something he told all of us regularly "Always go above and beyond because people will only see your skin color nothing else, because you were born with people thinking you are less than because of the color of your skin." When I went to middle school for the 6th grade we couldn't go to the school that we thought we would go to because that year they started a program to bring minorities to a then all white school. A bus came to get us and I was stressed out to the point I couldn't focus or do my work. After all I had always been with only one race since starting school. The children wasn't so friendly, they looked at us and frowned on us and called some names. I hated it and I never wanted to go  to school. My grades went down to a C average and I had never received a C on anything. This is just something I had to deal with. After I made friends my grades went by up because these kids was just like us and I stopped stressing.

                The United States is at the top of the list as the most racist country in the world. Minorities are always targeted for racism. No child regardless of race should be forced to deal with so many issues dealing with racism before he or she graduates from high school. Black parents have to teach their children how to deal with police officers. I know me personally I have taught my children what to do when stopped by a police and what not to do. It's very important now because everyday a young black boy or girl is killed by the police. This can cause not only stress but depression because black children are much more likely than white children to be suspended and expelled from school. Even as young as 5 years old black children are suspended. The U.S. Department of Education report in 2014 that blacks make up around 18% of preschoolers throughout the nation and nearly half of them receive out of school suspensions (www.alternet.org). Stress will cause children to have many developmental issues in life and racism causes stress. Extreme stress can cause cortisol to flood the brain and destroy the hippocampus; too much of that hormone early in life may lead to permanent deficits in learning, health, causing major depression, post traumatic stress disorder and attentions deficit/hyperactivity disorder in childhood and adolescence (Berger, 2016). Since racism is a serious stressor in a young child's life it can cause all of these along with developmental delays. We think because we are adults that children can't get stressed as well. Racism exist and regardless of how we deal with it, things may never fully change. My daughter has always been the only African American child in the many activities she does such as her ballet class, swim class and strings class in school. I have always talked to her about the color of her skin, I've told her it doesn't define who she is and no one is better because of skin color. Everyone bleeds the same color, we all want what's best for our children. This is a problem and will always be one so their are many work shops, educational books, videos and seminars about racism that can help some people understand it better.

                As I was reading things about racism I came across Germany. Although it's regarded as one of the best tourism destinations. It is known for it's racism and how they treat people whose not from Germany. Black people are treated the worst of all races who visit. Germany is the best example of the saying "If you sow hate, you will only reap hate, " even today Germans has a hatred feeling toward foreigners who visit their country for work and living (www.msn.com). Just imagine children having to deal with racism and how it is on us if we have ever faced it so imagine how they feel. Children are innocent and to be faced with racism will cause a great deal of stress and issues they will have when they're older. I can't imagine my daughter having to deal with this and she's only 10 years old. She suppose to be living a worry and stress free childhood. A 10 year old boy doesn't have the right to a childhood as a white boy that age does, in the eyes of many people according to a study published in the American Psychological Association Journal of Personality & Social Psychology: In fact a 10 year old black boy is not even considered to be a child (www.alternet.org). When I read this I could have cried because a 10 year old is a child and it shouldn't matter what color his skin is to anyone. Racism happens when it's taught because children have no clue but then when it's taught they join in as well and generation after generation this problem still exist.

 

 

 

***I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.***

 

 

                                                                     References

 

Berger, K.S. (2016). The Developing Person Through Childhood (7th ed.) New York, NY: Worth Publishers

 

Retrieved from: www.alternet.org/civil-liberties

 

Retrieved from: www. msn.com/en-za/lifestyles/experiences

 

                 



Child Development and Public Health

 The reason I chose Immunization because I always wondered do we really need all of those vaccines. The textbook tells us that immunization primes the body immune system to resist particular diseases while the definition said it is the process a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease by giving a vaccine. Immunizations can protect us from short term sickness and complications. I’ve always noticed when I took my daughters for their vaccinations they would have a fever after some of them. Studies show that in the United States of America infants and children are recommended to receive 14 different vaccines which is 49 doses by age six. In Japan children receive 6 vaccines in twelve doses by age 5, what a big difference is what I thought. Japan has two categories for vaccines, one is routine vaccination designated by a vaccination law and the other is voluntary. For the routine vaccinations, they are all free if you get a coupon mailed to you from Municipal Health Center. Once you receive coupons you make an appointment. The other in Japan is voluntary which is not free, the cost depends on what type of shot your getting.

 It had been researched that some vaccines such as Hepatitis B which is given hours after birth is primarily transmitted through sexual contact or by using dirty needles. So ask yourself if this is given to a baby and obviously a healthy mother, why? During prenatal care a mother get all kinds of test ran to make sure she and the baby are alright. When babies are 2 months they receive Diphtheria and Tetanus which is a problem in developing countries. One case for every one million people had Diphtheria in the United States. While having a tetanus vaccine for lockjaw which isn’t contagious was a waste of time. Normally when an object is contaminated that’s when a tetanus vaccine is needed. There is a vaccine for chicken pox and now shingles for those people over 60 who has had chicken pox before. Chicken pox use to be very common, Center for Disease Control says that there is only 2 doses needed and is 90% effective and prevents people from getting chicken pox. What happens to the other 10% of people?  Fast forward to now, daily I see commercials about shingles on television. In 2006 is when they started vaccinating for people with shingles, the United States only have one vaccine called Zostavax that has been approved by the food and drug administration. It’s also been approved that people over 50 can get the vaccine.

Autism is something that is on the rise now. There have been many movie stars speaking out about it because they have children who has been diagnosed with Autism. Some people think that having your children vaccinated is the reason children develop Autism. Studies show that there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing Autism. There is an ingredient called thimerosal which is mercury based that people feel is the cause of Autism. Nine studies were done in 2003 and those studies found no links with Autism and thimerosal containing vaccines.

 This information I feel will make an impact on my future work because I work with children and immunizations are important in this day and age. There are so many diseases out and it is truly better to be safe than sorry. I work in a Head Start center and all children have to be vaccinated before they can start school. Different viruses are on the rise from people going to foreign countries and not knowing they have contracted anything, they carry it back to the United States.

 

My Personal Birthing Experience (Part 2 Pictures)

                                               
                                                          December 30, 2015                                           
                                          

 

December 30, 2005

Then and Now. (My Personal Birthing Experience)

December 30, 2015

December 30, 2005

My Peronal Birthing Experience

I was 16 weeks pregnant with twins in 2005, I lost one twin (my son). I was told by the doctors that I needed to make it to at least 24 weeks because the other baby would have a better chance of survival. I was hospitalized numerous times that I lost count. My specialist for high risk pregnancies did a procedure where they sewed my cervix up called a cervical cerclage. The reason was to hold the remaining baby inside because I was threatening another miscarriage, I had previously had one the year before. I had to go to 2 different doctors every week. I was on bed rest since I lost the first twin and remained on bed rest until I had the other baby. There were so many things happening to my body, I developed gestational diabetes while pregnant in which I had to stick myself 3 times daily to check my numbers after each meal.  After many hospital visits my husband and I were exhausted but I made it to 30 weeks. I was still too early and there were risk involved. When I had my daughter by caesarean she weighed 3 pounds 5 ounces. As soon as I had her, they let me hold her very briefly; she was rushed to another local hospital that has a NICU facility she needed. I remember this event because I had never experienced something so amazing and sad at the same time. I was an emotional roller coaster and didn’t know what to do but pray. I knew when I saw her that she would be alright because I prayed many prayers that my baby would be ok. I still had her 10 weeks early and so many things could have been wrong with her such as birth defects, limbs not formed, or organ failure of some kind. Nothing was wrong with her but she did have to stay in the NICU unit for over a month until she gained some weight. I am thankful that the hospital here was able to accommodate us for her low birth rate. My daughter’s name is Morgan and although I was told she would always be behind because of her being born early, she’s far from it. She is a very active 10 year old who loves everyone. I am very busy with her, she has many activities she enjoys some of her activities are: She’s a Girl Scout (3 years), plays the violin, goes to tutoring every Tuesday (2 years), she wanted to take a break from swim and ballet this year in which she has done both consistently for the last 5 years and now she is going to be a cheerleader.

In Denmark people spend way less money for health care. Although I had insurance I was still billed for various things and I will never forget they accidently sent me a bill for $98,000 for my daughter’s hospital stay for that month. In the United States we have our babies in hospitals. Women in Denmark can choose to have their baby at home or in the hospital where a doctor isn’t needed unless they think a problem or some sort of complication will arise. While pregnant a midwife attends to you regularly and is their when you give birth. After you have the baby a home nurse contacts you and start making home visits to check on you and monitor the babies health during the first year of the child’s life. A mother can stay home after having a baby for a total of 310 days.