Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development

One on the greatest stressors of my childhood that I can remember came to me in the form of racism.  I grew up in a predominantly white middle class area which means I attended school with mostly white middle class children.  In elementary school I was usually the only black child in my class each year.  Of course I recognized the differences in myself vs. the other children very early on, not to mention that I was reminded of those differences daily.  Well, it felt like daily.  I did have friends but not many at that age because I was a very introverted person.  I was shy, not very outgoing, and just not comfortable in my surroundings while attending school.  I do not know if my personality at this age was a direct product of my experiences and my feelings of being the odd child out.  Perhaps it was by nature that I was a little timid and just happened to live in an area that was not culturally diverse.  Either way I still to this day have memories of my child hood life experiences related to racism.   I did eventually find an arena where I excelled and was accepted, where race did not seem to matter.  That comfort was in playing sports.  I believe that my athleticism created a place within myself, where I learned to be confident.  

Hawaii has been collecting hate crime data since 2002.  In the first six years, the state reported only 12 hate crimes, and half of those were in 2006. There was anti-white bias in eight of those incidents (Keller, 2009).   In schools children who are not considered culturally native also have experienced episodes of racism.  For example:

• The last day of school has long been unofficially designated "Kill Haole Day," with white students singled out for harassment and violence. (Haole — pronounced how-lee — is slang for a foreigner, usually white, and sometimes is used as a racial slur.)
• A non-Native Hawaiian student who challenged the Hawaiian-preference admission policy at a wealthy private school received a $7 million settlement this year.
• A 12-year-old white girl new to Hawaii from New York City needed 10 surgical staples to close a gash in her head incurred when she was beaten in 2007 by a Native Hawaiian girl  (Keller 2009).

Jon Matsuoka, dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Hawaii believes that the resentment native Hawaiians feel toward white people is related to “ancestral memory”;   Through stories about the theft of the land and culture that have been passed down from one generation to the next (Keller, 2009).  The Hawaii Department of Education has promised to take various steps to improve the reporting, investigating and eliminating of student harassment in the future.  Although racism does exist in Hawaii, many people not native to the land have not expressed feelings of discrimination and Hawaii continues to attract many tourist each year.  I chose this topic because based on my own experiences I do not automatically associate racism as an act against white people.  But racism can take place against any one of any race, ethnicity, or culture.

Keller, Larry.  Prejudice in Paradise Hawaii Has a Racism Problem.Intelligence Report, Fall 2009, Issue Number:  135 © 2011. Southern Poverty Law Center

Breastfeeding

I chose to learn more about breastfeeding because I did not breast feed my son and am just not familiar with the experience.  Breastfeeding enhances the bond between mother and child but takes patience to acquire the skill.  Less than 1/3 of infants in the United States are breastfed and fewer infants are breast fed through the first year of life which is recommended by health care professionals.  There is a significant breakdown of about 50%, in the number of black mothers of any class who choose to breast feed than Caucasian middle class mothers (Galson 2009).  In almost every state, legislation recognizes women’s rights to breastfeed in public. Breast feeding boost the immune system and provides natural antibodies that fight against disease and certain types of cancer, such as breast and ovarian. Breast feeding also reduces cost of buying formulas. It can be difficult to keep up with breastfeeding and providing adequate supply of milk from the mother which is why most women do not continue to breastfeed through the 12 month duration.

In Norway breastfeeding is very common and is known as the role model for breastfeeding.  It is extremely rare for women not to breastfeed at all.  Women are encouraged and taught to breast feed in the hospitals.  They even have an informative help line for mothers needing assistance in breastfeeding. Women in this country usually take at least a year off for maternity leave and fathers are given plenty of time for breaks as well.  It is easier for women to keep up with the task of breast feeding because of the length of time granted for maternity leave.  Women in this country breastfeed in the public and it is not looked down upon or shamed.  In Norway, almost 100% of mother’s breastfeed before discharge from the hospital and more than half continue to breastfeed six months later.  It seems as if Norway as a country has an understanding of the importance of breastfeeding and childcare/development during the early years.

·         Surgeon General’s Perspectives: The Status of Breastfeeding Today (PDF, 1.22 MB)
By Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, Acting US Surgeon General

·         Mothers and Children Benefit from Breastfeeding (PDF, 40 KB)
By Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, Acting US Surgeon General

·         Norway Leads Industrial Nations Back to Breast-Feeding - New York TIMES Oct 21, 2003

Birth In Pakistan

I chose to learn more about pregnant women in Pakistan and understand what there experiences are in giving birth. In traditional Pakistani families, the influence of cultural beliefs and values on birthing is highly visible. Especially in rural areas due to a lack of accessible, affordable, and quality health care services.   Home deliveries are preferred over hospital deliveries.  Because of this probability of mortality among children under five years is 97 per 1000 live births.  The home deliveries are done by Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) or mothers in laws, who themselves are not trained.  As a traditional practice, the baby’s birth the cord is cut with blades or knives, and many times cow dung or ash is applied on the baby’s cord for healing purpose. This practice sets many newborns up for neonatal tetanus and serves as a factor for child mortality. Many families in Pakistan have experienced the anguish of losing a child, but little was being done to deal with the country's high infant mortality rate. Now Organizations are discouraging traditional practices by initiating training programs.  The Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN) was established to address the country's lack of obstetric care.  PAIMAN collaborates with community-based organizations all over the country to renovate and establish clinics, distribute medical supplies, educate the public, and train traditional birth attendants and midwives.  However, in the regions where the community is mistrustful of health care or where health care services are not available, potentially harmful practices for cord handling are still common.

The Birth Of My Son

I have a 3yr old son and the experience of his birth was the most rewarding yet exhausting event of my life.  I counted down the days getting closer to his arrival.  Finally at 1 week over due my Dr. called and said it’s time to induce.  So my husband and I anxiously and nervously checked in to the hospital.  It was 8 am when we checked in and the process was much slower than I thought.  The Dr. broke my water at about 3 pm and from there the contractions grew unbearable.  I did choose to receive an epidural and am so thankful for the medication because it was easy until time to push. After the epidural I rotated positions in the bed until fully dilated.  My mom had arrived at the hospital around 4 or 5 pm but need to leave at 2:30 am for work.  So it was 2 am when I finally was given the ok to push.  I only had 30 min to get him out before my mom had to leave.  I didn’t take any birthing classes but I was so determined to have my baby with my mom in the room.  I focused all my thoughts and energy in to pushing as quickly as possible and it worked.  My son was born at 2:35am, mom was there to see him born, my husband cut the cord, and we had a healthy 9 lb 12 oz baby.  My husband and I stayed awake for hours and hours just holding our son and staring at him.  I know some may not agree with epidurals but I believe I made the right choice for myself and my son.  It was a very stress free labor and delivery although not completely without pain.  I chose not to breast feed because I am a working mother and wanted to be consistent with feeding methods from the beginning, knowing that I would be returning to work in 2 months.  I do not feel that my choices have affected my child’s development in an unfavorable way.  He has met his mile stones thus far and I am pleased with his, social, emotional, and cognitive skills.