Stress on Child Development

• From the list above, choose one stressor that you, or someone you know, experienced as a child. Share how you, or that person, coped with and/or compensated for that stressor (including any resources used or any support obtained).
• Choose a region or country in the world that you would like to know more about and/or for which you have a special affinity. Find out, and describe, the kind of stressor(s) that impact the development of children in that region/country and what is being done to minimize the harm.

The development of a child is very delicate and can be alter through stess. Unfortunately some children experience stressor of life that may affect their development. I live near the Chicago area, and have heard and seen the affects of stressor such as violence. This pass summer, I witness the stress that violence caused on a community of youth who witness a dear friend of theirs lose their life to violence. On July 4th a 9 year old boy was shot to dead as he stood outside to play with fire works. As I heard of the news, it really saddened me. I was then moved to compassion to go see about the family. I do not live on the block, my church is on the corner if the block that this happen. We held programs for the youth during the summer so we know many of the children on the block. 

When I head of this great tragedy, I saw the youth that we worked with and many of them were crying, sad, afraid, and could not understand how this could happen to someone their age. Many of the youth begin to say they would not come outside anymore and the community became very afraid do the violence. That same year, we began an afterschool program in other to keep the youth off the streets after school to help keep them self. 

When talking with many of the youth, they otten say, they are afraid and not sure what to do. Many of them live life everyday not knowing what will happen and some of them walk to school. It was challenging to deal with for many of the youth, some have become desensitized and others are afraid.. The best way many of them cope is by staying home, or attending a program that keeps them off the streets, 

Children in Iraq expereince many stressor, from being kidnapped, raise for  war, dealing with hunger, and abuse.These stressor cause challenges in children development. There has been a organization called Humaniam that has been intitated to help provide children with the things that need in order to develop 

http://www.humanium.org/en/middle-east-north-africa/iraq/

Mental health of mothers, fathers, and families in general

• Choose one public health topic from the list above (or one that you think should be added to the list).
• Describe in what ways this topic is meaningful to you.
• Find information about this topic from a different part of the world, and include this information in your Blog.
• Share ways the information you have learned may impact your future work.

The mental health status of mothers, fathers and family plays a critical part in the development of children. The ability to birth a child is a very honorable part of being a woman. Once the child is born, the role of teaching, developing, discipline, and growth is the role of the parents and family. There are times in which this role become difficult or altered because of the mental status of the family and often times the development of the child is hindered.

This topic has become of interest to me because, mental health is very important for those who will tend to children, We have often heard of many unfortunate circumstances where the mental health of a parent or family, cause a negative impact or result in a tragedy of many children. The role of mental health in the mother and father must be measured and evaluated on all levels whenever a child may appear to lack development. I major in psychology because I had a great passion in understanding the behavior of people. Thus mental health is also a great factor in the behavior of people is often can determine how a child develops.

I truly believe their should be an added health evaluation when a mother beccome pregnant.Just as they focus on how the more is physically caring for the child. Their should be prenatal mental health evaluation, this could help to determine how fit the parent in relation to the development and possible prevent some negative factor that may affect the childs development, such as neglect and abandonment.

Other countres such as the UK, noted many women often deal with mental health issues, prenatal(anxiety) and postnatal (depression). Many of these health issues are noted due to biological and social issues within the family. The study noted that childen with mothers who experience mental health issues, often experience challenges during development and were very hard to console.

The information on mental health is a very serious and interesting topic. This topic should be studies futher and solution needed to be noted in order to provide children what they need to develop. My futrue work in this area is to provide a safe haven for children who may experience challenges do to parents who are unfit due to mental health issues. I would like to focus my work on providing what is needed for the children.

Mental Health America.http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/parenting

World Health Organization. Maternal mental health and child health and development in low and middle income countries: (2008.)
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/mmh_jan08_meeting_report.pdf

• Write about a personal birthing experience. It can be your own birth, your child's birth, or one you took part in. What do you remember about the event? Why did you choose this example? What are your thoughts regarding birth and its impact on child development?

The birthing of a child is an very interesting and amazing experience that mankind encounters. I have had the priviledge to experienc two of my nieces birth. The experience of watching my sister labor for 10 plus, as she awaited the final step of 10cm to push. I remember with the first child, my sister was experiencing high blood pressure, so she was given meds to manage her pressure. Her contractions were mild, but began to increase and she requested an epideral. After the epideral which was given around 4cm-5cm, she was calm and relaxed. Her labor progressed very well, and she was ready to push after about 7hours. As she began to push, she began sick, and through the force of being sick she was able to push the baby out within 4 pushes. The young fetus came out, with lots of hair, and began to cry instantly. I do the remember the apgar scale of the baby, however, she was noted as doing well. After the process of birthing, I was able to see the process of afterbirth, and recovery.  I chose this example because it was my first birthing experience, in which I was able to see a vaginal birth. 

The process of birth is very interesting because the body goes through a process to prepare for labor in order to deliver the fetus into the awaiting world. As the fetus transitions from the womb into the world, the process of child development outside the womb begins. How the fetus enters the world, and the nature of the birth, and care after, plays a major role in the development of the child during its first days in the world. 

• Choose a region of the world or a country, other than the U.S., and find out how births happen there. Write about what you learned, and the differences and similarities with your experience (in the personal example you provided). What additional insights, if any, about the impact of the birthing experience on development, did you gain from this comparison?

Subharan African, a region in Africa, does not experirence births like we do in the U.S. Prior to 2012, women often died durinh childbirthing, and many infants suffered sickness. Women had to birth children in the dark and without medicl equipment, due to the  lack of resources. This part of African is very poor, and does not have the pre or post care for their infant and thus child development is different.  These two countries pose very different birth experiences, in that the U.S has the advancement of medicine and lighting. In relation to similarities, as in the U.S those who are poor often experience poor birth experiences and often time the infant and mother becomes sick.