Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

In the past, chaos in children’s lives reflected large-scale as well as economic upheavals in American society.  A child’s home was usually viewed as a safe haven for them in a world that was considered harsh and chaotic.  Today, however, much of the world may be a safer place for children (meaning the benefits from better health and government safety net).  These benefits, however, may be offset by increasing chaos brought about by marital instability and lack of regularity in the home.  Moreover, chaos in the child’s home may have less to do with economic shocks or other society-wide economic transformations than with the growing freedom of choice (both good and bad) that parents have concerning issues such as marriage, childbearing, and work, as well as how their choices affect their children’s lives (Lichter, et., al., 2010).

Environmental chaos typically refers to disruptions in multiple domains, which include but are not limited to, sensory overload, physical crowding, and routine family life.  When routines are diminished in frequency and family life is disorganized, questions about how the group works together collectively to promote and sustain healthy development are raised (Fiese & Winter).

In my own case my sister and I never knew what we were going to walk into after school or after being out with friends.  From the age of approximately eleven our home was in constant chaos with arguments as the normal environment we lived in.  Once our parents divorced, there were other circumstances that are still very painful to recount that I know had negative repercussions on our development in many areas.  I chose to use babysitting on an almost constant basis in order to totally avoid being in my home except to sleep.  Unfortunately, due to the stress involved with our household my grades began to slip and I needed to get them back up in a hurry or I would not be permitted to babysit any longer.  Sadly, at this time, this is the reason I chose to work even harder at school work.  I believe I still have residual effects from my childhood that will more than likely never fully be put to rest. 

References

Lichter, D. T., & Wethington, E. (2010). Chaos and the diverging fortunes of American children: A historical perspective. In G. W. Evans, T. D. Wachs, G. W. Evans, T. D. Wachs (Eds.), Chaos and its influence on children's development: An ecological perspective (pp. 15-32). Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/12057-002

Research Study - Growing Pains: The Impact of Disaster-Related and Daily Stressors on the Psychological and Psychosocial FUntioning of Youth in Sri Lanka

Developmental psychology, supported by nearly four decades of research, has shown that children’s development is influenced by multiple factors at multiple levels.  These range from intrapersonal variables (both biological and psychological) to factors operating at the level of the family, community, and society (Ferando, et., al., 2010). 

In an effort to understand the impact of stressful events and contexts (parental divorce and poverty) on children’s emotional, cognitive, and social well-being, researchers have begun to look to identify and understand mediating and moderating factors at multiple levels of influence that might explain or influence the relation between stressors and children’s mental health (Ferando., et., al., 2010).

Daily stressors may mediate the relation between exposure to disaster-related stressors and psychological and psychosocial distress among youth in disaster-affected countries (Ferando, et., al., 2010).  In this study a sample of 427 Sri Lankan Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim youth with a mean age of 14.5 years) completed a survey with measures of exposure to disaster-related stressors and daily stressors, psychological distress (which included posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety), and psychosocial distress.  The results of the study indicated that daily stressors significantly mediated relations between war and tsunani-related stressors and psychological and psychosocial distress.  Some of the daily stressors which were not directly related to disaster also predicted functioning.  Therefore, these results seem to point to the need for policies and interventions that focus on reducing proximal daily stressors that are salient to Sri Lankan youth exposed to disasters (Ferando, et., al., 2010).

The above-mentioned research study was really interesting to read and I would recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about this type of stressors.

References

Fernando, G., Miller, K., & Berger, D. (2010). Growing pains: the impact of disaster-related and daily stressors on the psychological and psychosocial functioning of youth in Sri Lanka. Child Development, 81(4), 1192-1210.

Fiese B, Winter M. The dynamics of family chaos and its relation to children's socioemotional well-being. Chaos and its influence on children's development: An ecological perspective [e-book]. Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association; 2010:49-66. Available from: PsycINFO, Ipswich, MA. Accessed July 23, 2011.

Child Development and Public Health

For this week’s posting those who know me well might have assumed I would pick the health topic of mental health of mothers, fathers, and families in general since my first master’s degree is in Psychology.  I chose instead, the topic of immunizations. 

Immunization, according to Berger (2009), is “a process that stimulates the body’s immune system to defend against attack by a particular contagious disease.  Immunization may be accomplished either naturally (by having the disease) or through vaccination (often by having an injection)” (Berger, 2009, p. 150).

This is a topic in which I am very interested in because of my work with children over the years that have been diagnosed with conditions on the Autism Spectrum.  I also find this topic interesting because of the work I have done in the past with international exchange students from all over the world.  Each year there were some countries that did not have access to the immunizations needed for the students to be able to enter school in the U.S.  These students would need to get these immunizations as soon as they arrived in the U.S.  Fortunately for the students and their host families the scholarship the students were here on would pay for these immunizations.  If this was not the situation, I am not sure if these students would have been able to make the most of this opportunity as many of the students come from countries where the economy is not in great shape.

One country that I have never worked with and chose to research for this assignment is Sierra Leone.  Located in West Africa, Sierra Leone, according to Renner, et. al., (2005), has a population of 4.6 million.  The health indicators for Sierra Leone are poor.  According to Renner, et. al., (2005), an example of life expectancy at birth is 34.2 years; the probability of dying (per 100 live births) before the age of 5 years is 313 and between 15 and 59 years is 619.  The number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births is 2000.  These dismal health indicators are a reflection of poor governance, poor macroeconomic performance, and poor national health system performance (Renner, et. al., 2005).

In Sierra Leone the Ministry of Health and Sanitation provides about 50% of health care services.  The remainder of services are provided by the private sector and national/international associations.  There are 13 health districts, each with a District Health Management Team responsible for the implementation, supervision and monitoring of health programs in the district.  According to Renner, et. al., (2005), Sierra Leone has a total of 31 government hospitals, 22 mission hospitals/clinics, 78 private hospitals/clinics and a network of 788 PHUs.  There are geographical inequities in the distribution of health facilities in the country which contributes greatly to the poor health indicators (Renner, et. al., 2005).

It is important, personally, to research and learn about such conditions as well as others in the public health of various countries.  If I am to become an effective advocate for those who need a voice, I need to understand the family’s roots.  I also feel it is important to have a greater understanding of other countries in order to have a well-balanced education.

References

Berger, K. S. (2009). In The developing person through childhood. New York: Worth. 

Renner, A., Kirigia, J., Zere, E., Barry, S., Kirigia, D., Kamara, C., & Muthuri, L. (2005). Technical efficiency of peripheral health units in Pujehun district of Sierra Leone: a DEA application. BMC Health Services Research, 577.

Childbirth - Around the World

Having been fortunate to be a host mom to students from all over the world has opened my eyes to so many differences in various cultures.  The one I will use for this posting is the research I found on health benefits and practices among Arab women.  Then I will add in what I found from hosting a terrific young girl from Oman this past year and what she told me about her beliefs.  This subject came up because one of her sister’s found out she was pregnant with her second child while she was staying with me.

I am sure views are different depending on which country and/or region the women of Arab decent are from but according to Kridli (2002), in the Arab culture the bride’s status in her husband’s household is technically not very stable until she gives birth to her first baby and proves she is fertile.  Afterward there is pressure to have a second child because of fear that an only child may die and leave the parents childless.  Once this happens the pressure diminishes unless both children are female.

Sons are highly valued in the Arab culture because they are a source of economic security for the parents in their old age and also provide physical security for the extended family as well as political strength and social prestige.  This high value on sons, however, can affect the Arab woman’s health status because she is expected to continue getting pregnant until she delivers one or more sons (Kridli, 2002).

Excessive planning can be seen by the Arab woman as negatively affecting the future so attending prenatal classes is not usually something they do.  Prenatal knowledge is usually gained from women in the family such as mothers or mother-in-laws.  The pregnant women also do not plan ahead for their labor and delivery.  Planning in this culture is seen as defying God’s will and is capable of bringing the “evil eye” to the mother and/or the baby.  The evil eye is believed to be brought on by an envious person who wishes to cause harm to another who receives something positive, such as having a healthy baby or delivering a son.  Therefore, in the Arab culture the baby shower occurs only after the baby is born, to avoid planning and the evil eye (Kridli, 2002).

Although, according to Kridli (2002), pregnancy is considered a healthy occurrence and a natural process, Arab culture dictates that pregnant women need to pay special attention to nutrition.  The women are expected to eat well and utilized all five food groups.  However, they are not supposed to eat spicy foods or any foods that may upset their digestive systems or foods that are sour.  The Arab culture believes that the baby is connected to the mother, strong-tasting food may hurt or cause discomfort to the baby since he or she will experience the same discomforts experienced by the mother.  Arab women who are pregnant are also exempted from daily fasting during the holy month of Ramadan (even though some women do choose to do so) (Kridli, 2002).

Some Arab women tend to go to the hospital as soon as the first contractions are detected, fearing that something may go wrong to jeopardize the life of the baby.  Also, finding out the sex of the baby before birth is not usually done for religious reasons based on the Quran’s statement that “no one knows what is in the womb but God.”  Because of this those women with a strong religious background may ask the healthcare worker not to inform them about the sex of the baby (Kridli, 2002).

In my discussions with my student this past year (whom I consider another daughter) I found out that a babies age is counted as soon as they are conceived.  Her sister also did go get an ultrasound which showed that she is having a second girl.  I was told that this would mean another baby at some point in order to have a son.  The diet of her sister fits in with the research done by Kridli (2002) as do a lot of the beliefs about prenatal classes, etc…  There was reluctance to bring back gifts for the unborn baby, I am assuming it is because of planning so far ahead is not really part of the process as Kridli (2002) stated.  Though once we started looking at the baby items, I swear she bought out the store.  I also made a baby blanket for the baby even though they typically only use swaddling blankets for the babies. 

I learned so much about the differences in the cultures where pregnancy and childbirth are concerned.  I believe an understanding of these differences is really important for all of us but especially healthcare workers here in the U.S. as it will help with forming a positive bond and allow the proper prenatal care to be obtained.  Positive support systems from all sides are essential and will hopefully put an end to pre-conceived ideas about this culture and others.

Reference

Kridli, S. (2002). Health beliefs and practices among Arab women. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 27(3), 178-182. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Childbirth - My Personal Experience

Each of my three personal experiences with pregnancy and childbirth were so different in some ways and similar in others. 

The similarities are the prenatal care I made sure I got as well as making sure I took care of myself.  Even at a young age I somehow instinctively knew this was important for their futures.

With my first child I was 17 when I was pregnant and 18 when he was born.  I remember not having a clue I was pregnant until one day when I walked into the house and smelled onions cooking with a roast.  I swear I turned green as I had to rush out of the room to get sick.  Once I found out that I was pregnant I stopped all caffeine and made sure I ate all the right foods, went to all my doctor appointments etc… (Almost all the right foods.  I was totally addicted to tootsie pops during my pregnancy and always had some wherever I went.)  I was amazed at the changes that seemed to be happening each day and would sit for hours just rubbing my stomach, listening to music, reading etc… to this little unborn miracle.  Unfortunately, all did not stay so positive.  While at a cookout in July 1985 (six weeks before my due date) a drunken man had pushed down his pregnant wife in a drunken rage.  When I went to help her up the same man turned on me and I was basically thrown onto a hood of one of the cars.  I went into labor that night and have never been so scared in my life.  After 12 hours of labor there became a complication with my son’s heart rate and he needed to be delivered via an emergency c-section.  He weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz. and was 17 inches long.  Pretty good for a six-week premature baby.  I was told by the doctors that he would more than likely be academically and/or physically behind his entire life and was given references to what services were available at that time.  I am happy to say that my son ended up being tenth in his graduating class without even trying and is today approximately 6 ft. 2 in. tall.

My second child I was 19 when I was pregnant and about six weeks away from 20 when she was born.  This time I knew when I was pregnant before the doctor’s would even give me an official pregnancy test.  It was the smell on onions cooking again.  This time around the morning sickness stayed with me during the entire pregnancy and I also had some minor issues with my heart which needed a monitor.  I decided once again to make sure I ate the right foods, etc… (Except with this one it was strawberry sundaes.)  With the second pregnancy it was harder to sit and relax but I still spent a lot of time just sitting and rocking in my rocking chair listening to music, reading, and rubbing my stomach calming down little elbows, feet, hands, and knees.  Five weeks prior to my due date there were some complications and I had to rush to the hospital.  Fortunately, labor was able to be stopped and I made it almost to my due date.  It was a good thing my water had not broken prior to me going to the hospital.  As soon as it did my daughter was born 20 minutes later.  Her entire labor and delivery only took three hours. Unfortunately, I was given a pain shot too close to delivery and my daughter ended up with the effects of it when she was first born.  I needed to follow up with various doctors during her first three years of life, but fortunately there were no issues because of this.  But at the end I had this beautiful little girl with reddish blond hair (7 lbs. 9 oz. and 20 in.).  I remember thinking, “Now our family is complete.” 

Surprise!  Along comes my last child.  I was 20 when I found out I was pregnant with him and 21 when he was born.  Of course it was those darn onions again that made this known very quickly into the pregnancy.  So I did all the right foods, etc… again (except for the craving for anything with cheese).  I really had a tough time trying to relax but did my best and spent a lot of time just sitting and enjoying being pregnant.  I knew this was my last one as the decision was already made I was not coming home from the hospital without making sure of this.  I had three children at 21 years of age and just knew this was it.  Unfortunately, I had problems with blood pressure with this pregnancy and was forced to spend as much time off my feet as I could.  I actually made my due date and was a day late with this pregnancy.  At the end, here was an 8 lb. 10 oz., 21 in. baby boy with tons of dark hair.  Now I knew the family was complete.

I attribute the fact that my children were able to grow up healthy and are doing so well because I was fortunate enough to have the various supports and prenatal care during these important times of growth and development.  I had some tough pregnancies but each of the children is doing terrific at the ages of 26, 23, and 22 at the moment.  My youngest has type I diabetes but that is the only health issue with any of the children.  I am truly blessed and fortunate to have each of them.

Next Chapter

It is amazing that the next class has begun already in this next chapter of my educational journey.  I want to wish all my classmates good luck and I am looking forward to working and learning with each of you over the next eight weeks.