Childhood Disease in Jordan

In the country of Jordan, childhood diseases have been gaining more notice and assistance in preventing infant mortality and death of children under age 5. The country has increased efforts towards early childhood development and the influence of health care and immunizations by including a holistic approach and strategy (UNICEF).

One of the leading causes of death among young children is from Acute Respiratory Illness. Health officials changed the required immunization schedule for children by presenting a vaccine (BCG) starting at one month of age rather than at the age of entry to school as well as including the vaccine HIB (UNICEF). This effort has proven successful as studies have shown a reduction in cases of children with Acute Respiratory Illnesses (UNICEF).

Reference

UNICEF. Jordan:The Children, The Early Years. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from http://www.unicef.org/jordan/children.html

Childhood Stress

As I look through the list of major stressors, I think of what ways I have been affected by some of the items. Poverty, natural disaster, chaos, and violence are all on my list of experiences as a child. While I have experienced each one to some degree, it is hard for me to say that any one of these stressors truly effected my growth and development as a child. Each one of these stressors has made me who I am and made me a stronger person.

Each one of these stressors has given my family a chance to show each other how to be there for one another. Between natural disaster and immediate family death, my family went down the path of violence and poverty creating a chaos of emotions. That chaos did not stop as I grew up as my family continued to grow apart. I remember times when I thought my family was falling apart as my parents divorced and my older siblings continuously rebelled and moved away (even before they were 18). As a child, I don’t remember having one thing that I used to cope with these stressors. I remember clinging to my sister as a support system and the reassurance I needed that things would be okay. Through the poverty times in my family, my mom worked up to 3 jobs at one time to provide for us and we used food stamps for a short period when needed. Now that I am an adult I look back and realize that my family came out with stronger ties to each other than I could have ever imagined. Even as a child I knew that I had strong attachment to my family. The one thing that got us through it all was the understanding that we love one another. With everything we had been through as a family, we grew to understand that no matter what happens we would survive and be there for each other when needed.

Views on Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding provides countless benefits to both the infant and mother. I have always been interested in this topic and how it relates to child development and health for both the mother and child. From a public health standpoint, I believe if more women breastfed their infants, healthcare costs would decrease. According to Berger (2009), breastfed babies are less likely to get sick and mothers benefit from decreased mental health issues. These benefits would lead to fewer costs on healthcare as well as the immediate cost for the milk itself.  Breast milk is FREE! You can’t get any better than that.

Women around the world have varying views on breastfeeding. The social stigmas that come from nursing an infant in public can lead to a mother’s decision on how to feed her infant.  Sub-Saharan African culture views breastfeeding as a natural common feature of the day (Brown). Women in Ireland are not as inclined to breastfeed, especially in public (Brown). Other countries such as France have a 50/50 take on breastfeeding (Brown). Many of the changes in attitudes come from a woman’s work routine and schedule.

If the working mother has to change the way she feeds her infant and possibly give her baby a less nutritious feeding, then shouldn’t society be changing its policies to accommodate a breastfeeding and working mother. Breastfeeding is completely natural, just as is the need for sleep. In my future work, I will always take regard for woman’s culture and personal desire to feed her infant in any way. However, I will continue to encourage mothers to give their child the best start in life to help ensure healthy growth and development.

References

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Brown, T. (N.d.) Breastfeeding Around the World: Breastfeeding’s Popularity Varies From Place to Place. Retrieved May 10, 2012 from http://www.breastfeed.com/nursing-mothers-life/nursing-facts

Netherlands Birthing Experience

The birthing experience in the Netherlands can be considered quite different than in the U.S. According to Passionate Parenting (2009), many, 60%, of births take place within the home rather than in the hospitals or medical setting. The U.S. has only 1% of births taking place in the home (Berger, 2009). Contrary to what I saw in my sister’s birthing experience, the Netherlands have less preventative screening and medical intervention. The birthing experience is viewed as very natural and pain relief is not frequently used (Passionate Parenting, 2009). Perhaps without having some tests done my sister would have been saved from the worry and anxiety, which can affect the baby’s health even from inside the womb.  Women often use a nurse, paid by their insurance, after the delivery in help for caring for the newborn and giving the mother more opportunity to heal (Passionate Parenting, 2009). Women may also use 4 months of maternity leave and the newborn receives free health care for well visits and immunizations until they turn 4 years old(Passionate Parenting, 2009).

Women in America are not often given nearly as much maternity leave and health care for children is a concern to many parents who cannot afford the insurance. These factors can be critical for a child’s development. Giving a mother and child that opportunity to bond for the 4 month period given in the Netherlands can certainly help give the necessary foundation for future social and emotional development as well as brain growth. Health care is also crucial to a child’s development and a lack of health care can certainly effect the child’s growth and wellbeing. It seems to me that the Netherlands recognize the importance of giving a mother and her baby the opportunity to let nature do its thing and how the first months to years of a child’s life are the most crucial for health and development.

References

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Passionate Parenting (2009). Having a Baby in the Netherlands. Retrieved May 4, 2012 from http://www.passionateparenting.nl/pregnancy-and-birth/having-a-baby-in-the-netherlands.php

Birth Experience

I experienced a live birth for the first time when I was 15 years old. It started at six o’clock in the morning with my mom waking me up saying I needed to get ready. I thought she was waking me up for church but since it didn’t start until ten, I went back to bed. As I lay in bed I hear someone crying in pain. I got up and looked in the next bedroom and saw my older sister curled up and holding her stomach. It was clear why I needed to get ready. I was about to see my niece being born.

We had only one car for the family and it was a standard. My sister was the owner and the only one who knew how to drive. She drove herself to her boyfriend’s house and then hospital while having contractions the whole ride there. When we arrived at the hospital, I was shocked that the nurses did not rush my sister to a room like they do in the movies. She had to wait to be registered and make sure there was a room ready before taking her. I wondered why it was so important to check her insurance when there was a baby coming at any second!

Once we got into the labor and delivery room, my sister was hooked up to all the machines and nurses checked all of her vitals. Things were looking good, except for my sister crying in pain, her boyfriend practically sleeping in the chair already and still no sign of a doctor. This was my sister’s first baby. She was a little scared because she had a very difficult pregnancy. She had been hospitalized four times because she couldn’t keep food or liquids down and was severely dehydrated. She had to take anti-nausea through the entire pregnancy. During her fifth month gestation I remember one day when she came home from her doctor appointment with my mom and neither of them was speaking about what had gone on in the appointment (which they always had done). When I asked what was going on, they tried to tell me everything was fine but I knew this wasn’t true. I tried listening in on their conversations and soon learned that there was a chance that there was something wrong with the baby. They thought my niece would have Down syndrome. There were tests done that showed a few abnormalities and she was set to have an amniocentesis. My sister was torn on whether she wanted the test to be done or if she just wanted to wait and find out at the baby’s birth. She knew there was nothing that would change things so why have the test if it didn’t matter. Over the next few days she worried about what would happen. Her doctors called and told her that the tests were wrong and she would no longer need the amniocentesis. It was such a relief for us all.

Back to the labor…..My sister decided she needed help with the pain and asked for pain relievers. She was given stadol to help ease her mind. The nurses continued to check on her and they asked who she wanted to stay in the room during the delivery, she would be allowed only one other person and she chose her boyfriend to stay. As the labor progressed the midwife arrived and decided she needed a little help to get things moving so she broke the water. This helped and but also got things going so that my sister began to feel the pain again. She was given all sorts of positions to lay or sit in and even tried sitting in the bathtub to ease the pain. The midwife checked the baby at one point and noticed that she was breech and not in the correct position for delivery. She tried to turn the baby around nut she wasn’t turning like they wanted her to. They started to talk about taking her for a cesarean delivery, which my sister very much did not want. They tried using everything and just before they were going to take her the baby finally gave in and turned around the right way. However, now she was stuck on the pelvic bone and was not coming out. The doctor’s again had to adjust the baby’s position and then use suction to help pull her out.

As this is happening right next to me, I suddenly realize that I am seeing this all. The nurses and doctors forgot to tell me when to leave. I am staring at the tv when I hear a “POP” and realize that baby Taylor is finally here. She is placed on my sister’s chest and everyone in the room is relieved to see that the worry and hard work during pregnancy and delivery has come to this special moment of bonding between mother and child.

I tell of this experience because I could never imagine how amazing it is to immediately feel love for a child even when I am not the mother.  I also feel it is important to speak up during labor and delivery. My sister made it clear that she did not want a cesarean delivery and she was fortunate that her doctor tried everything possible to prevent it from happening. I recognize that this is not always the case from other stories I have been told. I feel this experience represents how a mother’s intuition for what’s right for her own child can sometimes show that nature does not always match up to technology. I believe the first moments after birth where the mother is given the first chance to see her baby set a foundation for bonding that can never be taken away from a child’s development.