CHILDHOOD STRESSORS
One of my closest friends had a very tiring childhood. While growing up, she witnessed great violence in her home. She witnessed all types, verbal, emotional and physical abuse. Her father would always shout, degrade, insult and physically beat her mother. She said that little by little she got use to it, thinking that it was normal for males to beat up females. She grew up desensitized to violence and was even "welcoming" to the idea that her boyfriend and future husband may beat her up. Her older sister also got into a similar marriage and would often be seen with bruises all over her body. They both thought it was okay. The people who helped them the most were their family in church. Other church members took care of them when they needed some place to stay. Counsellors at church also made sure to do counselling sessions with them. My friend believes that it was God's love that helped her push on. She said that she experienced the right kind of love from Jesus and her friends at church. I met her in church and she was only able to get help when she was already a young adult. How I wish we were able to help her when she needed it most; when she was young!
My friend had violence as her major stressor while growing up. Other children have other stressors. For this blog I would like to focus on a country near to home - Japan. The land of the rising sun as she is called, is very well known and respected being one of the more developed countries in the world. However, despite their economic prowess, Japan has a problem that has been sad to have been worsening the last few years - suicide. In Japan, many stressors have been identified such as unemployment, poverty, recession, natural disasters, ill health and the like that contribute to the suicidal rate. According to Curtin of Asia Times (2004) Japan holds the largest number of suicides among the developed countries in the world. In fact, Japan has almost the same number of suicides with US, which has more than twice its population.
Curtin (2004) explains that there are also cultural factors that add to the problem and help increase the suicide rate:
Some cultural factors exacerbate the problem: lack of religious prohibition against suicide, reluctance to discuss mental health and stress-related problems, a literary tradition that romanticizes suicide, a view of suicide as an honorable act, a way of taking responsibility for failure, among other issues. The breakdown of family and social networks and the increasing isolation of individuals contribute to the problem. (paragraph 5)
Youth suicide rate has also been rising in Japan (Curtin, 2004). The reasons cited are they are stressed in school and pressured for work that do not exist anymore and that they are greatly influenced by the suicides of adults around them and the publicity that those deaths get. Kuchikomi (2009) adds child depression, extra marital affairs of parents and parents with depression to the causes of the hight childhood suicide rate.
Another major stressor that I think influences the development of children in Japan is natural disaster. Japan, being in the Pacific Ring of Fire, experiences earthquakes almost everyday. To prepare children, Japan included earthquake discussion and preparedness in curriculum, even for the youngest children. Drills are often discussed and one by young children in their school settings to prepare them for earthquakes. However, no amount of drills was able to protect the Japanese when the Great Eastern Japan Quake and tsunami hit in March of 2011. They even say that this event was the "toughest crisis in Japan’s sixty-five years of postwar history” (Shorrock, 2011, p24) as multiple power plants melted, more than 20,000 individuals perished and devastated infrastructure.
To address the situation, religious activities were created like vigils, provision of solace for the victims, temples were also turned to refugee camps (McLaughlin, 2011). Physically, they were cared for by Japan Red Cross, were given food and clothing by different organizations all around the world.
Despite the great tragedy, Japan is sure to rise again as it is said to be a very resilient country (Beech,
Birmingham, Dirkse & Mahr, 2011). Beech et al (2011) also adds that "Japan's ultra-sophisticated earthquake-and-tsunami-alert system increased the odds for everyone. Survivors I met told versions of the same story. The earthquake unleashed its fury. Then because of radio broadcasts, text messages, sirens, firemen's door-to-door calls and just plain instinct honed by years of disaster drills at school, people from towns and villages along the coast--Japan's population is concentrated in an often narrow coastal plain--immediately fled to higher ground" (para 7).
References:
Beech, H., Birmingham, L., Dirkse, T., & Mahr, K. (2011). How Japan will reawaken. Time Inc. Retrieved from Proquest Central database.
Curtin, J. (2004). Suicide also rises in the land of the rising sun. Asian Times Online. Retrieved from
http://www.atimes.com/
Kuchikomi. (2009). Children's depression and suicide a worsening problem. Japan Today. Retrieved from
http://www.japantoday.com
Mclaughlin, L. (2011). In the wake of the tsunami: Religious responses to the Great East Japan
Earthquake. Crosscurrents. pp. 290-297. Retreived from Proquest Central database.
Shorrock, T. (2011). Naoto Kan and the end of ‘Japan Inc.’: Criticism of the government’s response to the catastrophe has obscured major political changes. The Nation. pp. 24-26. Retrieved from Proquest Central database.
Child Development and Public Health
The development of a child is greatly influenced by the public health and safety measures of his/her country. From the choices this week, I wanted to discuss breastfeeding because I am a breastfeeding advocate. But I saw that Hand washing Campaign was not in the list, so I decided to add it instead. Proper hand washing is very important to learn for all children since diarrhea is one of the leading causes of childhood deaths here in my country, which according to a UNICEF report, has killed over 70,000 Filipino children in 7 years. It is also stated in the article that proper handwashing will be able to reduce 44% of the incidence of death-causing diarrhea.
To help with this, the UNICEF launched the first global day of proper handwashing in the country last September 2009. Teachers, parents, government officials and the public were encouraged to properly wash their hands with soap and water during critical periods like before eating and preparing food and after using the toilets, after sneezing and coughing.
During the endmic of Ah1n1 virus, various schools and institutions in the country also began integrating proper handwashing into their curricula and programs. We try to follow what the Center for Disease Control (CDC) suggests as proper steps in hand washing:
- Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
- Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.
Charts of proper handwashing techniques are now seen posted in schools, institutions, government agencies and public toilets. Below is an example of a poster found in a school in the country.
In our preschool, we have integrated proper handwashing procedures into daily activities to help ensure children will practice and internalize it. I believe that proper handwashing is essential in the prevention of diarrhea and spreading of viral infections. Thus, it is important for schools, in any country to implement proper handwashing in their own classrooms. Those in the rural areas should also be educated about its importance and benefits.
Sources:
http://www.topnews.in/health/unicef-launches-hand-washing-campaign-philippines-24387
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HandWashing/
Birthing: A wonderful experience
When I got married, I could not wait to get pregnant... Just after a month, my husband and I were so happy to find out that we indeed were pregnant. For the next 3 months I had my prenatal check ups, got a couple of ultrasounds, drank my OB vitamins and started reading on the joys of pregnancy. On my last OB visit during the 2nd month we got to see our baby, with buds of arms and legs already and a good heartbeat through ultrasound. Three weeks later, I started spotting. We had to go to the hospital and it was there that we were told that our baby was gone; has been dead for about 3 weeks already for no apparent reason. We were heartbroken but God is good and he quickly reminded us that things happen for a reason and that He has better plans for me. The "birthing" of my dead baby was no easy feat. We had to wait for my cervix to dilate before the doctor did the D&C. I was in great pain. I remember being alone in the labor room with pregnant mothers around me labouring for their babies, while I laboured for a dead one. The cramping of my stomach and back was so painful that tears silently flowed down my cheeks. I was given medication to help me sleep through the pain but the medication (though given 3 times) did not work. In agony, I clung to the metal bars of my bed and waited it out for a couple more hours. I never new pain like it.
But God is faithful. Just after two short months, we again got pregnant. I would then like to share on my experience while giving birth to my son as it was quite an experience... It all started on April 16 (Wed) at 6:30 pm, contractions started to come every 10 minutes so I continued with my activities normally... by 10 pm they came in 5-6 minute- intervals. I knew I had to go to the hospital soon. So I took a bath and made last minute preparations then started to record the intervals.
By 3:30 am of April 17 (Thursday) my contractions were down to 3-5 minutes apart so had to go to the hospital already. When we arrived the doctors checked/recorded my contractions. They hooked me up in monitors to check the baby and my contractions. The records showed that I had contractions around every 3 minutes already with very high degrees of contractions too. So we all thought I most likely I was about 6 -7 cm dilated. But when they did an Internal Exam, it was just 2 cm. This surprised everyone. It was painful but the Lamaze classes I took together with the presence of my husband made all the pain bearable. So we began doing Lamaze exercises (dancing, squatting, walking around) to hasten the dilation... to no avail... dinner time came, finally 4 cm... so I was asked to not eat or drink anything any more because most likely I will give birth during the early am.
Midnight came and gone.. It was already April 18 (Friday) and still I was 4 cm. By 6 pm of the same day I was only at 6 cm dilation, but the contractions were already overlapping and very much painful... I was still trying to walk around and exercise to help with the dilation but was starting to really get very very tired... more than a day with no food and water with pain can really drain a person... I was starting to really feel weak... could not even do the breathing exercise properly anymore because of fatigue and HUNGER!!!! Good thing God gave me a very supportive husband and family who came to watch me during labor... yes, my mom, my sister and a brother were there as well...
When 9 pm came and the doctor saw that I was still at 6 cm and was growing tired, she broke my water bag... Right after which, I transitioned from 6 cm to 10 in just a few minutes. Friday night, April 18, after 2 days of drug-free labor (I gave birth completely natural), my son finally came into this world. All the pain, the wait and hunger were all worth it.
I chose this example because I felt like I could share it more accurately since I went through it myself. I gave birth in a hospital because I know that giving birth is a very risky event. I wanted to make sure that my son was safe. I wanted to do Lamaze because I wanted to be able to remember everything clearly and be my complete self when I first interacted with my son. Nonetheless, we made sure that he was not in distress during the long labor by frequently checking his heart rate for if he was I was willing to completely deviate from the birthing plan we have prepared.
I believe that the quality of prenatal care and birthing impact the holistic development of the child. A mother, after receiving good quality prenatal care and gives birth in a safe and controlled environment may lessen the chances of complications that may lead to delays in future development, disorders or worse, death.
I was surprised and awed to have found out that in the US almost everyone gives birth in a controlled environment. Here in our country, that is not the case. Most here still give birth in their own houses or very small clinics or paanakans as we call them, especially those in the rural areas. Most still do not receive proper prenatal care and majority do not even know what a birth plan else, much less have one. Our country is also composed of diverse ethnic groups and each ethnic group has their own birthing and pregnancy rituals and traditions. For more information you may visit http://www.librarylink.org.ph/featarticle.asp?articleid=104 which just showcase a few.
Though I am Filipino, I gave birth very differently from majority of Filipino women. Though they also do not use anaesthesia like me, I gave birth in a hospital, with monitors and doctors and nurses. I also had a birthing plan prepared and was able to get good prenatal care and was able to attend child birth classes. As I see it, mothers in our country need to be educated about proper prenatal care, pregnancy, and birthing to help them prepare for this experience and also to increase the mother-infant mortality rate.
As stated in Newborn Deaths in the Philippines Article during the 11th National Convention on Statistics (page 1) retrieved from www.nscb.gov.ph:
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that each year nearly 3.3 million
babies are stillborn, and over 4 million more die within 28 days of coming into the world.
Deaths of babies during this neonatal period are as numerous as those in the following 11
months or those among children aged 1–4 years. Skilled professional care during
pregnancy, at birth and during the postnatal period is as critical for the newborn baby as it is
for its mother. The challenge is to find a better way of establishing continuity between care
during pregnancy, at birth, and when the mother is at home with her baby. While the
weakest link in the care chain is skilled attendance at birth, care during the early weeks of
life is also problematic because professional and programmatic responsibilities are often not
.
