War

The stressor that I chose was the effects of war on children’s development.  Here’s a story I would like to share with you . . .  

My best friend (Linda) was stressed when her father was serving in the war.  Linda was very dependent on the care, empathy and attention that her father gave her.  Her attachments were disrupted when her father was drafted to serve as a solider.  When we were in the second grade, her mom came to the school around ten o’clock to take her home.  With Linda being my best friend, as soon as I made it home, I asked my mom to call her mom to see why she came to the school to pickup Linda early.  I felt that something was badly wrong.  When mom called, Linda’s mom told her the news, that her husband had been killed.  As I can remember, I started to cry and so did my mom.  We rushed over to Linda’s house to be with them.  From that day forward, Linda was never the same.  Linda experienced anxiety, and in some cases panic when she would think about her father.  When I would spend the night with her, she would have nightmares and could not sleep soundly. She would also complain of headaches and stomachaches daily.     

I chose the region of Afghanistan to focus on the effects of war on children. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is high due to family violence caused by high levels of stress stemming from the war.  Other issues stemming from war is  displacement, lack of food, interruption of school, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance behaviors, mental disorders and increased levels of arousal.  More common side affects of PTSD include guilt, depression, anxiety, poor appetite, difficulty concentrating, difficulty relaxing, aggressive outbursts, poor interactions, fear of darkness, and strong effect on emotional development.  I also read that there are 35,000 street children due to hidden mines, 7 out of 10 children have lost parents and 72% have lost relatives since the war began (Dev Psychopathol. 2001).  I found much more information on bio-behavior consequences of war on children’s mental health, growth and development at http://www.inernetandpsychiatry.com/. 

As I furthered my research, I found several groups that help to minimize harm to children. 

Ø  The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most widely ratified human rights treaty and obliges States to take positive measures to ensure the protection of children’s rights both in peace and in war.

Ø  Peacemakers must buffer children from the potentially negative consequences of the peace process while respecting their evolving capacities and their right to guided participation.

Ø  Save the Children is an internationally active Non-Governmental Organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries.  It was established in the United Kingdom in 1919 in order to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic opportunities, as well as providing emergency aid in natural disasters, war, and other conflicts.

There is no doubt that the war has a tremendous impact on the biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial development of the children, their attitudes toward society, their relationship with others and their outlook on life in general.  A war affects children in so many different ways.  To me, I now realize that the greatest effect that war has on a child is when their father or mother are killed. 

Here’s a quote that I thought you all would enjoy . . .

“The best way to protect children from wars is to prevent them from happening in the first place”
-- Free The Children

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Children

http://www.ecdgroup.com/docs/lib_005823920.pdf

http://medind.nic.in/maa/t08/i1/maat08i1p65.pdf

http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hrj/iss12/cohn.shtml

Child Development and Public Health

Immunization is meaningful to me because vaccines are among the safest medical products available and can prevent the suffering and costs associated with infectious diseases. It’s not only important to stay healthy to protect yourself, but also to protect your children, your grandchildren, coworkers, and the older people in your life, too. Without, immunization, I would have to miss work leaving those unable to care for themselves and depend on me in everyday life. Vaccinations from birth through adulthood provide a lifetime of protection against many diseases and infections. During the 20th century, many infectious diseases-that killed thousands of people each year-were either eliminated or controlled by immunizations in the United States.

Unlike some countries, immunization is not mandatory, in Canada; it cannot be made mandatory because of the Canadian Constitution. Only three provinces have legislation or regulations under their health-protection acts to require proof of immunization for school entrance. Requiring proof of immunization for school entrance serves two main purposes. First, parents who have forgotten to have their children properly immunized will be reminded and can rectify the situation. Second, parents who do not wish to have their children immunized must actively refuse and sign documents attesting to that fact. In some provinces and territories, the public health-care system administers immunization programs; infants and children receive their vaccinations at public-health clinics. In other provinces and territories, vaccinations are primarily given by private physicians who order vaccines from local public-health units.

This information has a great impact on my future work because an unvaccinated person is a threat to people. Diseases do not stop at the borders. People can bring vaccine preventable diseases into our country and spread them to people who are not vaccinated. Our society depends on everyone working together to ensure that all of us can be safe. One of the ways we can play our part is to make sure that your family gets the right shots at the right time. Shots may hurt a…little, but the disease they can prevent can hurt a lot more.

My Personal Birth Experience

A personal birthing experience for me was the birth of my son. This was my first child. I remember lying in the hospital bed having contractions. Everything was going fine. In the final stage of labor, I begin to bleed heavy. I was in a lot of pain. I was nervous and afraid. Doctors and nurses came with different types of machines and equipment. The doctors were able to see and monitor my baby. My baby was stuck in a transverse position. The baby’s side was trying to come instead of the baby’s head for delivery. My baby was stuck! Thank God I was in a clinical setting. The doctor said the baby had to be delivered by cesarean section. My blood pressure was very high and my body was going into shock. I was taken to the Operating Room for emergency surgery. I was scared and concerned about the baby’s health. After the baby was born and I came out of recovery, I had no interest in my baby. I was in a lot of pain. I did not want to see or hold my child. I only wanted something for the pain and was tired and sleepy. Later that day, I noticed a change in my appetite. These were signs and symptoms of postpartum depression. I feel that first time births should be done in a clinical setting because, I never had any complications doing my pregnancy or delivery until the baby was ready to be born.

If I had not been in the hospital, I probably could have died and my baby also. In Netherlands delivery at home attended by a registered midwife or nurse has been the norm for quite a while. Deliveries are considered a natural part of life. The United States is medicalized. Netherlands has one of the lowest infant mortality rates of the world. Netherlands has a large network of certified midwifes, who guide almost all pregnancies. Only when serious problems occur during pregnancy or delivery an obstetrician is involved. The family doctor is almost never involved in pregnancies / deliveries. Like the United States, women do have checkups every month. Your blood pressure is measured, your weight, and they feel your belly: first the size of the uterus, later the position of the baby. The only difference with a delivery at home is that you use a labor room in a hospital. In the United States, a delivery room is also available.