Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Many important areas of the brain including the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the hypothalamus make up the limbic system.  (Berger, 2013) The limbic system matures between the ages of 2 and 6, helping with emotional regulation. (Berger) High levels of stress during early childhood can damage the limbic system. Natural disasters are one of the many stressors that children may experience all over the world.  Nurturing caregivers can help young children to cope with the stress.

I grew up near the base of Mt. Diablo, in a suburb of San Francisco. My siblings and I loved riding our bikes to the end of our street where a creek separated our neighborhood from the mountain wilderness. We spent our days exploring the creek, collecting tadpoles and making damns. On weekends, our family took day trips up the mountain to picnic and hike.

One morning when I was 5 years old, I woke up to the smell of smoke and ran to my mother. She explained to me that Mount Diablo was on fire and we wouldn’t be able to play outside that day. I was terrified! I remember going back upstairs to look out my bedroom window and could see the flames of the forest fire. I cried for all of the animals on the mountain and was sure that the flames would also eventually destroy my house and community. My mother forced me to eat that day and I wasn’t interested in playing. I just wanted to stay close to my mom as she comforted and reassured me that everything was going to be O.K. That night on the evening news, I could clearly see that things were not O.K. My parents let me sleep in their bed and I had nightmares about the flames engulfing our family. My mother was right, a few days later the fire was out and our lives returned to normal. Mt. Diablo has had several forest fires sense then, but none that had the same effect on me personally. To this day if I see or hear about a forest fire, my mind immediately goes back 45 years to that horrible fire.

In researching natural disasters and their impact on the development of children around the world, I choose to look at East Japan and the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and devastating tsunami that swept coastal villages out to sea and caused major damage along the coast in March of 2011. The earthquake damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and thousand of residents in the region had to be evacuated. In this series of disasters, over a half million residents were left homeless and millions were without water and electricity. More than 18,000 people lost their lives. (Brown, J.A., Jimerson, S.R., & Saeki, E.  )

Unfortunately, Researchers have found that 25.9 per cent of the children between the ages of 3 and 5 who survived the disasters in Japan suffer from symptoms including vertigo, nausea, and headaches, with some exhibiting worrying behavior such as violence and withdrawal. (Sydney Morning Herald, 2014) The children were scared from losing family and friends, seeing their homes destroyed, being separated from parents, or the sight of the huge wall of water that crashed ashore.  Professor Shigeo Kure from the Tohoku University School of Medicine explains that young children who do not receive the necessary care to recover could develop much worse problems in later life. The problems can include developmental disorders and learning disabilities, which could have a domino effect on academic achievement and future employment. (Sydney Morning Herald)

            While natural disaster are inevitable, being well prepared to keep young children as safe as possible is vitally important. Communities that have crisis prevention plans in place stand a good chance of being able to help the children and families they serve by keeping stressors to a minimum during disasters.

References

Berger, K.S. (2013) The Developing Person Through Childhood, Sixth Edition

Brown, J.A., Jimerson, S.R., & Saeki, E.  Natural Disasters, University of California,

 Santa Barbara, Retrieved form:

http://ponline.org/publications/booksproducts/BPSCPI_30.pdf

Sydney Morning Herald (2014) Japan: One in four tsunami children need mental care (2014) Retrieved from:

http://www.smh.com.au/world/japan-one-in-four-tsunami-children-need-mental-care-20140127-hva28.html

Early Childhood Nutrition

Good nutrition is essential to physical growth and development in early childhood. Children require a variety of healthy foods to fulfill their nutrient needs. In contrast, to the benefits of good nutrition, a poor diet can cause multiple problems in young children. Children who have poor diets, whether because of lack of food or because of eating habits that lead to inadequate intake of nutrients are prone to significant short and long-term health complications. (Fleck)

Children need calories to grow. In general, toddlers and preschoolers need 1000-1,800 calories per day and school-age children require 1,200 to 2,600, depending on their age and gender. (Martinez) These calories should come from a variety of foods from each food group and include fruits, vegetable, whole grains, dairy and lean protein. Fast foods, soda, candy and processed foods should be limited.

Children need the same nutrients as adults, but in smaller amounts. Some nutrients are very important for physical growth. Protein helps children to develop and maintain strong muscles. Beef, poultry, fish, beans, milk and nuts are excellent sources. Calcium helps build strong bones and keep them healthy. Milk, cheese and yogurt are good sources of calcium.  Children also need carbohydrates and B vitamins from whole grains for energy.  Vitamins and minerals are needed for healthy immunity, skin, hair, and internal organ function. (Martinez)

Childhood obesity is a growing problem that can result from poor nutrition. The rate of childhood obesity in America has tripled over the past thirty years. One in five U.S. children is obese causing a major problem among American children. Several interacting factors lead to obesity including genetic susceptibility, behavior (diet and amount of physical activity), and the environment (home, school, and community).  (NEA) The Children’s Defense Fund notes children in families with insufficient access to nutritious foods are much more likely to be obese in early childhood. (Fleck) This is the result of high calorie intake and an emphasis on foods that are high in fat, sugar and sodium. Regular consumption of fast food compounds this problem. Obesity in early childhood can lead to a variety of health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. It can also result in a negative self-image, eating disorders, a decreased quality of life and other psychosocial problems that are extremely difficult to turn around. (Fleck)

In comparison to the childhood obesity epidemic in America, I choose to research childhood nutrition in Vietnam. I was saddened to learn that according to UNICEFF, 25 percent of Vietnamese children under age 5 are underweight. (Diem 2013) A limited supply of nourishing foods and a general lack of nutritional knowledge among the Vietnamese people (especially in rural area) are the primary reasons for this problem. Three groups working to improve childhood nutritional health in Vietnam are The Abbott Fund, AmeriCares and the Giao Diem Humanitarian Foundation. Together they have reached 23,000 preschool students in rural villages, successfully reducing the average malnutrition among these children to less than 20 percent. (Deim, 2013)

I chose to research early childhood nutrition because good nutrition is extremely important to me. My mother was a registered nurse and fed my eight siblings and me a very healthy diet. I remember in the early 1970’s, she started a neighborhood co-op and educated anyone who was interested on the benefits of consuming a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. I have been teaching for almost thirty years and have unfortunately witnessed the negative effects of the childhood obesity epidemic in America. I strive to teach my current preschoolers about good habits and healthy eating. We share healthy organic meals together every day. I am a member of our local childcare resource and referral provider group and plan to make early childhood nutrition a topic for our conference in September of this year.

References

Diem G. Vietnam Nutrition Project, 2013 Retrieved from

http://www.abbottfund.org/project/24/34/Improving-Children%E2%80%99s-Nutrition-Through-School-Based-Services

Fleck A. Children With Poor Nutrition, Retrieved from Demand Media

Martinez E.  Influence of Nutrition on Physical Development In Early Childhood,

Retrieved from Demand Media

National Education Association -Facts About Child Nutrition. Retrieved from

             http://www.nea.org/home/39282.htm

Sources: Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Child Birth in my Life and Around the World

As long as I can remember, all I wanted to be when I grew up was a mom. I have always loved babies! My dream came true in 1986 when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I was 23 years old and couldn’t wait to meet my son.  My pregnancy was “easy” until the beginning of the eighth month when I began to feel pain at the top of my left leg. I called the doctor and he said the baby was probably pressing on a nerve. Every day the pain got worse until my leg was swollen, hot and purple. When I called the doctor again, his partner answered and said she wanted to see me immediately. At the hospital I was told that I had a large blood clot in my leg and both my and my unborn child’s lives were in danger. I was hospitalized and given intravenous medication for the next two weeks to stabilize the clot. I learned how to give myself injections of a blood thinner and was allowed to go home for a few weeks to prepare for my sons birth.

When labor began, my husband and I returned to the hospital and met the high-risk team that would deliver my son. I was excited and scared at the same time. Labor continued for over twenty hours until my baby began showing signs of distress. The doctors decided to do a c-section but couldn’t because of the blood thinners in my system. Attempts to use both forceps and a vacuum were unsuccessful. I remember seeing my mom (a registered nurse and mother of nine children) standing against the wall. She looked terrified, and I new I was in trouble.  A few minutes later my doctor told one of the nurses to “get on top of me.” I remember Larry, a large but gentle man straddling me on the delivery table. He looked into my eyes and whispered to me to try and not fight what was to come next. When the doctor ordered Larry to do so, he sat on me with all of his weight. With the help of Larry’s force and a fourth degree episiotomy, Steven entered the world two contractions later. Steven’s Apgar score was a three and he was rushed away before I could see him. I knew he was alive because I heard him cry as he was carried out of the delivery room. Forty minutes later the pediatrician returned and told me Steven was perfectly healthy. I was overjoyed, grateful and relieved. This was not the delivery I had prepared for, but I was blessed with a healthy baby!

I have often wondered if the trauma Steven experienced during my pregnancy and his birth had an effect on his development. Steven is a bright and talented 27 year old today, but school was a challenge for him. His teachers wanted my husband and I to medicate him for attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, but we resisted. Steven eventually finished high school at the continuation campus and had little interest in college. He has a successful career today in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and I couldn’t be any happier or prouder of him! 

I have also reflected on what the outcome would have been for my son and I if we didn’t have access to the high-risk medical team that saved our lives. All of my doctors agreed that without medical intervention, we would have died from complications associated with blood clots.

            In contrast, I chose to research how high-risk pregnancies and deliveries were treated in the developing region of West Africa near the time of my son’s birth. According to the World Health Organization, 99% of maternal mortality occurs in developing countries with 95% being avoidable at little cost. (Publique, 1999) The first International Conference on Safe Motherhood was held in 1987 to sensitize the world to this tragedy. In West Africa, the maternal mortality ratio is the highest with 1020 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births when it is 27/100,000 in developed countries. (Publique, 1999) Direct obstetric causes make up 80 % of the maternal mortalities, however cultural mores and economic hardship also contribute to the high risk pregnancies that often go untreated because of minimal health services. 

If a woman in West Africa experienced a similar pregnancy to mine, she might have made it to a clinic where there were no impatient beds or electricity. The medical staff wouldn’t have had enough supplies and she and her baby probably would have lost their lives.

I found this comparison heart breaking. Too many woman and children loose their lives do to inadequate health and medical attention. Some of the reasons for high maternal and infant mortality rates in West Africa can be solved easily with vaccines and prenatal care, while other circumstances are much more complicated.

References

Sante Publique, 1999 Pregnancy and Delivery in Western Africa. High Risk Motherhood http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10504833