Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

A Family Growing up in Poverty

 I talked with one of my Head Start parents that had grown up in poverty and was still struggling with the stresses of it today.  Tammy told me that growing up she and her family lived in a very small 2 bedroom apartment and depended on food stamps each month to buy groceries.  She remembers her dad always worked out a system to ensure her family would eat nutritionally so immediately after they would get their stamps, he would rush out to the supermarket and buys fruits and vegetables as well as meats and dairy products.  Her clothes were either handed down to her from her brother or made by a family member.  Very rarely did her mom buy new clothes at the store as well as shoes.  Her dad worked but only got paid minimum wage and after the bills were paid there was usually nothing left.  They did not have health insurance so living in poverty kept them from seeing a doctor unless it was an emergency including a dentist.  Tammy also remembers that a few times her family had gotten behind on their utility bill and she woke up one morning and her power was cut off.  Knowing the refrigerator was off and the food was going bad, her dad began calling the utility company and the Department of Social Services for assistance with getting their power turned back on. She said by the time the power was restored, her family still had lost all of that month’s food. 

Tammy said because her family was under so much stress all the time she often stayed at a friend’s house.  When she turned 17 she became pregnant and now at 20 she is still finding it hard to get her life on track with a good job because of dropping out of school her senior year to have a baby.  She is trying to make a difference in the life of her child now so she does not continue to grow up in poverty.  Tammy is now in getting her GED and planning on going to college to turn things around. I’m so proud of her!

Poverty in Ethiopia

Located in East Africa, Ethiopia’s poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture which accounts for more than half of its economy, employing 80 percent of its population. With an estimated population of 78 million people, 78 percent of Ethiopians struggle with an income below US$2 a day. The international news is now plagued yet again with a new wave of drought and famine.

Ethiopia (2013). Retrieved from http://www.thp.org

Some of the other causes of poverty in Ethiopia are:

·         Arid conditions leading to irregular production in the agriculture sector.

·         Improper marketing strategies of agricultural products.

·         Degrading ecology

·         Technological knowhow being poorly developed.

·         Transportation facilities are poorly developed.

·         Failure of the rural people in participating in awareness programs meant for them

·         Absence of sufficient rainfall

·         Shortage of food products owing to several conditions.

·         Absence of proper socio economic infrastructure. This includes lack of potable water, proper education and health programs.

·         Unstable political scenario.

Poverty in Ethiopia (2013). Retrievedfrom:http://finance.mapsofworld.com/economy/ethiopia/poverty.html 

 

Child Development and Public Health

Child Development and Public Health

I chose the public health topic of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) because it hits close to home for me.  My mother’s sister passed away from SIDS and I often wonder what might have caused it.  I plan on sharing the information that I learn about SIDS in my classroom with my families and co-workers.

 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is one of the leading causes of death among infants one month through one year of age in the United States. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) defines SIDS as the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene and review of the clinical history. SIDS is a diagnosis of exclusion, assigned only once all known and possible causes of death have been ruled out.

SIDS claims the lives of almost 2,500 infants in the US each year - that's nearly 7 babies every day. Deaths usually occur unexpectedly and quickly to apparently healthy infants, usually during periods of sleep, but it is not caused by suffocation or choking. It occurs in families of all races and socioeconomic levels and is also not caused by child abuse or neglect. 

Reference

What is Sids? Retrieved from: http://www.cjsids.org/resource-center/what-is-sids-suid.html

Preventing SIDS

How to prevent SIDS: You can reduce the risk of SIDS significantly by doing the following:

Always put your infant to sleep on her back (make sure  all caregivers do so, too).

Use a firm mattress and tightly fitted sheets for baby crib and no comforters, fluffy blankets, or pillows.

 The AAP also strongly advises skipping the crib bumper pad (which can restrict your baby's breathing when she presses her nose or mouth against it), and you should pass on those wedges designed to keep an infant on her back or side, since their safety and effectiveness have not been proven.

Keep your baby from overheating — no hats, extra clothes, or woolly blankets while sleeping, and keep the room cool (68 to 72 degrees F).

Keep your baby's room well ventilated. A recent study found that using a fan in an infant's room that has poor ventilation could reduce the risk of SIDS.

Never allow anyone to smoke near your baby.

Reference

Facts on SIDS –What to Expect.  Retrieved from: http://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/sids.aspx#

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Africa and Asian Cultures

In many African and Asian cultures, it is normal practice for the infant to sleep close to the mother in the same bed (co-sleeping). While unintentional suffocation or overlaying of the infant by the mother or another person does occasionally occur, this is generally on an unsuitable sleeping environment such as a sofa. Often the adult is obese, or alcohol or drugs are involved. Infants may also occasionally be strangulated by the bars of a cot or by cords in clothing or bedding. However, suffocation of the infant has been repeatedly rejected as a major cause of SIDS.

SIDS rates are actually lowest in Asian communities where co-sleeping is the norm. Parental sleep contact provides constant stimulation to the infant through vocalizations, body movements, radiant heat, and respiratory sounds. In fact infants who share the parents’ bed exhibit synchronous arousal and co-ordination of sleep stages with the parent. Some researchers therefore consider that parent-infant contact throughout the night may help some vulnerable infants to override the deficits that result in SIDS.

Reference

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Health 24, (2012). Retrieved from:

http://www.health24.com/Medical/Diseases/Sudden-Infant-Death-Syndrome-SIDS-20120721

Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

My Best Friends Personal Birthing Experience

My friend’s first pregnancy was a very exciting time for her and her husband. They had been trying to have a child for a while.  At first everything seemed fine but shortly into her pregnancy it started taking a toll on her body. During her first trimester, she had severe nausea and fatigue. In her second trimester she experienced daily headaches severe swelling, back pain, and rapid weight gain. Around 22 weeks she was placed on bed rest for pregnancy-induced hypertension for the remainder of her pregnancy and because of this her doctor recommended that she take hypno-birthing class and does prenatal yoga.

Around 38 weeks, they told her she was three centimeters dilated and 70-percent effaced. Unfortunately, her blood pressure was 160/100 and the doctor told her and her husband to head to the hospital immediately for induction. She was already dilated and effaced, so her doctor agreed to break her water, and give her an hour to see if that was enough to start her labor. When the water was broke, which she said she didn’t even feel, she said her doctor got this very strange look on her face and she said, “I’m going to go grab an ultrasound machine.” This really scared her and her husband and they asked if everything was OK. She said, “I’m not convinced that what I’m feeling is the head.” She brought in the machine and sure enough, the baby was breech. So, a C-section was immediately scheduled. Her husband tried to ease her nerves because she was very anxious about having a C-section. Needing the epidural did not bother her but the thought of being cut open while she was awake was very scary.

After about an hour, the anesthesiologist came in to give her the epidural. Her husband was trying to support her as she leaned over and she remembers trying to think happy thoughts of the baby to forget about what they were doing. After the epidural was in, they started to wheel her into the OR.  She said that there were all these monitors and things beeping and people calling out her vital signs. She had a sheet over her neck so all she could see was her husband and all she felt was a lot of pressure. She remembers moaning and said she felt no pain but could feel them pushing and shoving on her to pull the baby out!  She remembers just trying to breathe and relax. After only a few minutes they said, “It’s a girl!” They quickly showed her and her husband their daughter over the curtain, and then whisked her away. They cleaned her up a little and brought her back for them to see, and then her daughter and her  husband went to recovery, and she had to stay in the OR  while they finished (as she puts it) putting her back together.  After she was finally sewn up, stapled, she was taken over to recovery. After an hour she and her husband were moved up to a postpartum room and she was finally allowed to hold her daughter. Seeing those sweet eyes gazing up at her made everything she had gone through completely worth it. She was a very proud mommy at last!

Birthing in China

I chose to learn about the birthing in China.  What I read was very interesting to me.  Every culture has superstitions and beliefs that surround pregnancy but some of their beliefs and superstitions in China I found to be very unique from other cultures.  Here are some of the things that I learned:

During Pregnancy:

Traditionally Chinese society blames the mother of a child that is physically disabled or deformed for the imperfections of the child, as it is believed that this has resulted from the mother’s actions during pregnancy. 

A pregnant woman is expected and encouraged to continue working, as it is believed that this will ease labor and delivery.

Nutritious foods and herbal soups should be eaten and sharp foods such as pineapple and some other fruits avoided as they may cause miscarriage.  Eating squid and crab are discouraged because they believe this will cause the uterus to stick during delivery and in result of this they will have a mischievous child. 

A pregnant woman should not walk around barefoot and rubbing the abdomen too often is thought to result in a spoiled and over demanding child.

The major responsibility for care of the pregnant woman is taken by her mother –in- law, not her husband.

Male descendants are essential to ensure the continuance of ancestor worship and the continuity of family lineage and name.  Females cannot inherit, and in the Chinese family system the wife lives with the husband’s family and is deemed as no longer part of her own family, but the property of the husband’s family.  Female offspring are thus thought of as being only temporary family members while male offspring belong to the family for their lives.

After Birth:

When a Chinese baby is born they are already considered to be a year old because age is calculated from the date of conception not the date of birth.

Praise should never be given to or applied to a new born Chinese baby as this may invite the attention of demons and ghost. The baby instead should be referred to with unfavorable terms and words!

After birth, the mother is expected to observe a 40 day period of confinement. During this period, she is not allowed to eat food considered cold or have cold baths.  They have to keep warm by wearing thick clothes.  If it can be afforded a special helper responsible for both mother and child is hired to tend the new mother for at least two weeks.

References

Baby and Birth in China- Retrieved from http://www4panda.com/chinatips/culture/baby.htm

Thank You!

I want to take the time to thank each and everyone of you. I really enjoyed taking this class and I learned and gained a lot of insight and knowledge from all of you.  I look foward to taking more classes in the futere with everyone and I wish everyone the best of luck and success with their M.S. program and the field that they choose.

Examining Codes of Ethics

Examining Codes of Ethic

All of the Codes of Ethic are important to me, but the following are the most meaningful …

NAEYC –Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment

To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions.

It is important for me to create and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment for my children because it ensures that my classroom is a place that my children can feel comfortable and allows them to explore and experiment within a safe and positive learning environment.   

To use assessment information to understand and support children’s development and learning, to support instruction, and to identify children who may need additional services.

This is important to me because I believe it is so important to be able to assess children at an early age to see if there might be programs or services that would be beneficial to them and allow for accommodations or modifications for their individual needs.

To establish and maintain relationships of respect, trust, confidentiality, collaboration, and cooperation with co-workers.

This is important to me because getting along and being a team player makes all the difference in the world and benefits the children tremendously with their individual needs.

To further the professional development of the field of early childhood care and education and to strengthen its commitment to realizing its core values as reflected in this Code.

This is important to me because my professional development should always be an ongoing process to enhance my knowledge and strengthen my teaching abilities, so I can always continue to make a positive difference in the lives of children.

Reference

The National Association for the Education of Young Children(2005).

     Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment. Retrieved from

     http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.PDF

Division of Early Childhood

Code of Ethics

We shall demonstrate our respect and appreciation for all families’ beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture relative to their nurturance and support of their children toward achieving.

This is important because building a relationship with my families and learning about their cultures, languages, beliefs and values will allow me to provide meaningful learning experiences and support a sense of identity and belonging for my children as well as their families.   

 We shall respect, value, promote, and encourage the active participation of ALL families by engaging families in meaningful ways in the assessment and intervention processes.

It is important to me to involve families in the assessment process and especially keep effective communication going at all times so that their child can have the best possible learning experience in school as well as at home to meet their individual needs and goals.

We shall recognize our responsibility to improve the developmental outcomes of children and to provide services and supports in a fair and equitable manner to all families and children.

This is important to me because I am always trying to find new ways and new strategies to enhance and improve my teaching techniques so all my children will have positive outcomes and individual needs will be met.

Reference

Division of Early Childhood (2009) Code of Ethics.  Retrieved from
    
http://www.dec-sped.org

Early Childhood Resources

~~~Early Childhood Resources~~~

                                           Position Statements and Influential Practices

                                

NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf

NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010

NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010

Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
              Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                                                       Websites

World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us

World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/

Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/ 

                       Selected Early Childhood Organizations

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/

The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/

WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85

                    

Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/

Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/

Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/

Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

Institute for Women's Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/

National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/

National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/

National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/

Pre[K]Now
http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067

Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.og/The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/

         Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

YC Young Children

Childhood

Journal of Child & Family Studies

Child Study Journal

Multicultural Education

Early Childhood Education Journal

Journal of Early Childhood Research

International Journal of Early Childhood

Early Childhood Research Quarterly

Developmental Psychology

Social Studies

Maternal & Child Health Journal

International Journal of Early Years Education

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Additional Resources

Early Childhood News – Professional resources for Teachers and Parents

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com

Early Childhood Focus

http://www.earlychildhoodfocus.org

Second Step Program- Social Skills for Academic Success

http://www.secondstep.org

Kids Together – Inclusion Resources

http://www.kidstogether,org/inclusion/inclusionresources

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~