Common Stressors affecting children

When I thought about common stresses that affect children, I thought about the ones that I had to live through with my children.  It was not the same devastation as many of the victims of hurricane Sandy, which happened on the east coast, but we still experienced the trauma of loss nevertheless.  During 1994, we experienced an ice storm here in Mississippi that was very devastating to many families, including mine.  We experienced the loss of power over several weeks, loss of food, water, lights and heat.  There was little that we could do.  My main concern was not only for my family, but also for many elderly who lived in my immediate area, who were without power and heat and had children in their household that they were helping to raise.  We had heat for short periods throughout the night by sitting up and using our stove, which was gas, in order to generate heat after waiting several days.  We had many of our friend in our home because they lived in wood framed homes that offered little in the way of safety from the cold.  Trees around our neighborhood had fallen on homes and cars because of the weight of the ice.  They had to cut down trees in front of our home that had fallen.  We could do little in the way of escape because it happened so fast.  Children have a hard time understanding what is occurring and fear takes over, when they experience a natural disaster.  There was no place to evacuate to and no place to obtain assistance for several days.  Roadways in and out were impassable and we had to manage on our own.  After a couple of days, we were able to obtain water and because we had can goods in the house, we were able to eat.  We used blankets and slept in clothes, hats and coats to keep warm each day and night for almost two weeks.  We used candles for light at night and were unable to go outside after dark.  This was difficult for many children and elderly adults.  We live in an area of Mississippi which has one of the highest poverty rates in the U.S.  Many families are in very rural towns and have no access to transportation.  Many people in the area never fully recovered from the loss they suffered, following this disaster.

We also experience loss and devastation from hurricane Katrina from flooding and tornadoes.  When I saw the damage and destruction that the people from New York and New Jersey experienced from Sandy, I felt myself praying for them and personally identifying with what they were going through.  It is difficult to cope with trauma as an adult, but it is even worse for children, who do not understand what is happening or why.  I wanted to be able to help in the case of disasters that affect our area and became a Red Cross volunteer.  I also decided to pursue a degree in counseling to assist people in coping with disasters and other traumas.  I know the stress that they have to deal with because I have had to go through the same as an adult and so did my children.  They try to understand what was happening and why but it is difficult to mentally make sense of everything emotionally and psychologically.  Mentally, physically and emotionally, children need caregivers to provide safety, trust and reassurance that they secure and safe from harm.                

 

Nutrition and Malnutrition - Worldwide Problem

NUTRITION AND MALNUTRITION

            Nutrition is the act of securing proper nutrients and vitamins through food so that a person can thrive and have a healthy functioning body.  In order for this to happen, a person must have a consistently healthy diet.  In many countries, such as Africa and South Africa, this is not always the case. A number of children and adults alike suffer from the lack of nutritious foods and suffer from malnutrition, which is the lack of proper nutrition, and even starvation.  According to UNICEF, (2012), malnutrition is a major cause of death in 64% of children under the age of five in South Africa and one in five children is stunted and deficient in vitamins and mineral need for good health. (UNICEF, 2012).

            The lack, of a proper diet for children often lead to diseases that last over longer periods of time that normal and even death.  Cases of malnutrition, not only occurs in developing countries but even in a country such as the United States that is rich in excess and opportunity. 

            The New York Times (2012) reports that in parts of India 42% of children under age 5 suffer from malnutrition, which is a 20% drop from the last seven years.  This widespread problem exists in countries throughout the world and often goes unnoticed until there are reports in the news about an excessive number of deaths or widespread disease.  Things such as food and water that most of us take for granted because of its ready availability are a luxury to those who live in countries where they may not have a meal of any kind for days or weeks.  Children who experience poverty, whether here in the U.S. or in other developing nations, need help.  I give to organizations such as UNICEF and Feed The Children because of my belief that every child deserves to be cared for even if I am unable to do it personally, I can at least share financially.  I often encounter children in my workplace, who comes to school, and that is the only time during that day that they may have a meal.  It breaks my heart to know that any child, no matter where, suffers from lack of proper diet or hunger.

References:

UNICEF South Africa – Child and maternal health.   Retrieved November 9, 2012 from:

            http://www.unicef.org/southafrica/survival_deflop_755.html.

Yardley, J. (2012). New York Times, Malnutrition Widespread in Indian Children, Report Finds.

Retrieved November 9, 2012 from: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/world/asia/malnutrition-in-india-is-widespread-report-finds.html

Childbirth - Unforgettable Experiences

My most memorable childbirth experience was with my son, who is also and y firstborn.  I labored with him for more than 22 hours because he was breached.  I was also more than a week overdue by the doctors calculations.  I'm not sure my son felt the same way.  I had natural childbirth and although I was told that I would only remember the actual time he came into the world, I also remember the pain.  My son was born healthy and whole with no obvious problems.  He was a normal developing child until about age 3 when we began to notice his regression in speech and learning.  It was around this time that I discovered that he had a developmental problem which was later diagnosed as Autism.  I never allowed this to be a weakness for him, but used this as a challenge that he could overcome.  I am proud to say that my son is now a college graduate, working and about to enter graduate school to work towards a Masters in Finance.  He is a math whiz.  He is one of the reasons I love working with children with disabilities.  The smallest achievements for these children can make the biggest difference in their lives and that of their families. 

The place I chose to talk about childbirth is in the country of South Africa.  It is so difficult for women in this country because when they are in labor, oftentimes they are turned away from hospitals and considered to be lying or handled roughly by staff and many of the birth end in the death of the infant.  There is no accountability for the health care system and the abuses that occur and this results in maternal death rates as high as 75%.  According to the United Nations statistics, approximately 4,500 women die annually in South Africa due to treatable and preventable pregnancy and childbirth related causes. (Nordqvist, 2011).  When looking at these statistics and issues of the women in South Africa who endure such hardships, we must be grateful for the availability of medical care that we receive in this country.

Reference:

Nordqvist, C. (2011). "The shocking truth about giving birth in South Africa." Medical News Today.  
           Medilexicon, Intl.  Retrieved November 2, 2012 from:
           http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232413.php.