Child Development and Stress

Growing up as a child, my dad was an alcoholic. Whenever my dad would drink, domestic violence would occur. To cope and survive, I would read, sing and makeup stories in my head. Reading allowed me to escape to faraway places and experience life with other families or average families. Had it not been for my love of books, I would have had a nervous breakdown, run away, or committed suicide to escape the reality of my world. Because of the stress I experienced as a child, I was shy, timid and I hate confrontations.

In South Africa, one of the main stressors is post traumatic stress disorder that stems from violence and war. I have also included a chart below of associated stressors that occur to children in South Africa

 Children who are exposed to these stressors can suffer from the violent outburst. They have emotional problems that can cause them to become shy and withdrawn. Children and adolescents treated for post-traumatic stress disorder at the Free State Psychiatric Complex. Children referred to the FSPC are also exposed to traumatic events which lead to the development of PTSD. The Free State is an expansive area with isolated areas where specialist services and facilities are limited. They recommended that preventive programs, training opportunities and consultation services are implemented to identify and treat children and adolescents with PTSD. Schools with limited access to psychological services and large classrooms, impeding the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD specifically, face similar challenges. Reinforcement of professional services and the upgrading of facilities will decrease the burden on the Child Mental Health Unit, but will require collaborative efforts from role players such as the National Departments of Health and Education.

Children and Adolescents Treated for Post-Traumatic Stress ... (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-380143896/children-and-adolescents-t

PUBLIC HEALTH IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT

 Mental Health in Africa

 

The Mental health of mothers, fathers, and families is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. While working as a Mental Health and Disability Coordinator for a Head Start program for six years, I worked with children and families about mental health issues, and I faced some roadblocks along the way. Because social and emotional problems impair up to 10-14% of children nationally, and the consequences can impact society beyond measure is an issue that all educators need more training and education.

Africa is a place that is prone to conflict mainly south of the Sahara. Most of its countries have areas that are characterized by low incomes, a high predominance of infectious diseases and malnutrition, low life expectancy and poorly staffed services. Mental health issues often come last on the list of priorities for policy makers.

The frequency of mental health problems is high, largely due to inadequate care at childbirth, malnutrition, malaria and parasitic diseases. Mental Health is still highly stigmatized, particularly because it is often considered infectious, which leads to the social isolation of the sufferer and can result in mental distress. It is estimated that from the ages of 0-9, 3 % suffers from a mental disorder. As in the United States, there is a stigma attached to mental health and there is also the problem of superstitions bringing stigma to mental illness. In some parts of Africa, mental health nurses take care of the patients and prescribe medications as well.

The world we live in is becoming a violent place where people don’t seem to have empathy for other individuals. As an early educator, mental wellness is just as important as preparing children for kindergarten. It is my belief that if we can address mental wellness before birth, we will be able to have a society which thinks of others and can control their impulses. Mental wellness activities and interventions will become a daily occurrence in the centers, schools, and classrooms that I work in.

 Reference

North Carolina Infant/Young Child Mental Health Association ... (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ncimha.org

Births in Other Countries

 

 My Experience

 The birthing experience I chose to write is the birth of my first born, Kelly. My pregnancy was tough because I had morning sickness until before giving birth to my son. I was so sick; I lost weight, and the doctor asked if I was dieting. The day my son was born, my water broke before me having labor pains. The ride to the hospital was scary and yet exciting. I read the baby books about what to expect when you are expecting, but I was still nervous. The doctors induced labor because my water broke. I can remember the smells, sounds and the chatter in the labor room. Because I was in labor so long and was not dilating, they decided to perform a cesarean section. I was relieved when the doctors informed me about their decisions to carry out the procedure, but I had no idea how much pain I would feel afterward. My son was born in 1981 and back then, they put you to sleep, and you do not remember anything about the birth. I did not get to bond with my baby until later that morning, and that worried me because I read about how important it is to bond with the baby as soon as possible. I stayed in the hospital for six days, and when I was released, my mom told me I could not wash my hair, go outside for a month or drink cold water. Although I did not have a regular delivery, I would not change a thing, because, in the end, I was given a beautiful baby boy who gives me joy every day of my life.

Birth in The  South Africa Bush

Bushmen feels bringing a child into the world is a gift to the tribe and a young mother is taught that how she feels and thinks during the pregnancy will affect the labor and birth of the new baby. Other members of the group will assist by helping to carry other children or food, yet a pregnant woman is expected to continue with her normal duties such as gathering food, cleaning, caring for other children and should not complain. This renders a woman fit and healthy during her pregnancy – there is no room for slothfulness or overeating in this society, a pregnant woman is rarely overweight and an unborn baby is likely to grow to be the right size for the mother to give birth.

Motherhood, amongst the San Bushmen, brings status and social recognition to the young girl after she has navigated the journey of pregnancy and birth. Unlike our attitude in the western world where women are offered pain relief at the slightest twinge that labor may have begun, a young Kung woman is actively taught that she must face the pains of natural childbirth with courage and fearlessness. Most women will give birth alone in a squatting position, some few hundred meters from their settlement, and this is regarded as ideal, although mothers giving birth for the first time may have a helper at hand. After the birth of the child, women bite their cord with their teeth and bury the placenta before walking back to the settlement. It is her duty, to return the placenta, which is no longer needed, to mother earth. It also connects the infant to the territory a particular group of Bushmen clan occupy.

Birth in South Africa: Indigenous Traditions | Spiritual Birth. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.spiritualbirth.net/birth-in-south-africa-indigenous-traditions

The Differences

Women in San Bushmen do not eat a lot and sit around during their pregnancy, When I was expecting, although I regurgitated every day, I would have eaten more had I been able to keep the food in my stomach. I had my baby in the hospital, and I was given pain meds during labor, but in the Bush, women are not given any medications, and they give birth a few meters from their home alone. My umbilical cord was cut and disposed of, but the Bush Mothers bite theirs off with their teeth and bury before walking home.

When reading about the birthing process in The Bush in South Africa, I learned that they do not have any technology, but because the mothers do not gain weight and get lots of exercising by going about their normal activities, the baby’s weight is normal and healthy. I make me wonder what happens to the mother and child when complications arrive.

Birth in South Africa: Indigenous Traditions | Spiritual Birth. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.spiritualbirth.net/birth-in-south-africa-indigenous-traditions