Stressors in children

This week we were asked to write about a stressor we or someone we know of experienced. We were asked to explained how we coped or compensated for that stressor. The stressor I chose was disease. (A note to the reader: This is a personal story that is a bit touchy for me. I apologize if the emotion in this experience is a bit much.)

There is a multitude of disease that runs through my family. It includes but is not limited to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, ect. My grandfather was diagnosed with cancer while we were still very young children. On top of it he had already had a triple by pass, had severe diabetes which was affecting the circulation in his legs and feet, had high blood pressure and cholesterol, and I probably could go on for another 10 minutes with the rest of ailments he had.

                My sisters and I were really close to my grandfather. We knew he was ill and often visited him in the hospital. My parents did not hide it from us. I think they didn’t want us to be shocked when he eventually passed away. They wanted to give us time to get closure and come to terms with what was going to happen. Looking back I am not sure whether this was a good decision or not. On one hand I appreciate all the time I was able to have with him. I am grateful I knew and was not surprised with what I would have interpreted to be a sudden death. However, I was pretty young (or what I consider to be young) to deal with death and felt that it kind of consumed me at times.

                I was completely and totally devastated when my grandfather passed, even though I knew it was going to happen. I didn’t understand how someone I loved so much could just be gone. I was inconsolable at the idea of not having him around for the rest of my life. My parents told me about death but they never explained what it meant or how to deal with it. I was lost.

                My grandparents on my mother’s side are what helped me and my sisters through the hard times. My family is of Christian belief so my grandmother spent a great deal of time explaining what death meant in those terms and what it means for us as living family members. She fostered a nurturing environment that allowed us to focus on the happy memories instead of the sorrow. I fully believe that my parents did not have the skills and did not truly know how to talk to us so there was a good understanding. Their intentions meant well and I believe for the most part they did the right thing.

                It took me a good year to come to terms with what occurred. Even as an adult now I am still saddened at times that my grandfather could not see all I have accomplished and even more so…they my son will never meet this great man I hold so dear. Death is a hard concept for children to understand. Death is a hard concept for adults to understand. I believe that constant open communication is the best way to go.

Disease in another country

                Once again I chose to go with looking into Ireland. Not to my surprise when I looked up the stressor of disease and how it affected children I found a tremendous amount of information on alcohol abuse. Children in Ireland with parents who abuse alcohol tend to be subject to abuse. In Ireland alcohol is 1/3 of the cause for the most severe domestic abuse cases. If children are not directly involved with the abuse they more than likely witness domestic abuse between parents. There was a study done of 43,318 women. An average of 63% of women admitted to drinking alcohol during their pregnancy. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to further complications such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). ( http://alcoholireland.ie/alcohol-facts/case-studies-three/)

                Even viewing this disease as a child can lead to a child doing it at a very early age. I was not able to find much in the way of counseling or reach out programs to deal with this. There is one advocacy group I found called Alcohol Action Ireland. They have been stressing parents to speak about the effects of alcohol with children.

Resources

 http://alcoholireland.ie/alcohol-facts/case-studies-three/

http://www.thehanlycentre.com/index.php

Immunizations

It’s a new week which means…a new topic! This week I was asked as a part of our blog assignment to choose one area of interest from the following topics:

       Nutrition/malnutrition

       Immunization

       Access to healthy water

       Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

       Breastfeeding

       Mental health of mothers, fathers, and families in general

Owning an Early Childhood Center and being in the heart of its function I see every single topic (with the exception of SIDS, thank goodness) and feel that each and every one of them are so important to a child’s development. For choice sake though I am going to focus a little on immunization. I feel that at times there is a lack of communication or overall education on the importance of immunizations for children. I often find myself, at least once a month, explaining to a parent what different immunizations do, what they prevent, and why they can be beneficial (ESPECIALLY if the child is enrolled in an ECE center or around a lot of other children). For Pennsylvania ECE centers are required to submit a copy of each child’s immunization record to the Department of Public Welfare and Health.

            In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania they make it really difficult for a child to NOT receive immunizations. A few years ago legislation was passed that every child residing in the Common Wealth is entitled to health insurance from the state at little to no cost through ACCESS or CHIP. In the area I live in there are clinics that will give immunizations (those required to enter public school) at no cost. I do feel though, as I said earlier, that physicians often lack in communication when it comes to educating families about why this is so critical to get done. Just this year our area had an outbreak of whooping cough, a few years back it was the swine flu, and I can even remember a chicken pox outbreak. I know everyone has a different thought on why these events occurred but one main one for children was a lack of obtaining the appropriate immunizations.

            Even adults (those working with children especially) should have boosters done. They are available and if you walk into most clinics they can even give you a hand out for an adult immunization schedule. Adults can be carriers of some really horrible illnesses (pertussis!). By protecting yourself you can protect the little ones as well.

Immunizations in another country:

            I think it is relatively common knowledge that Africa is a pretty depressed country in terms of childhood immunizations or immunizations in general. The WHO organization and UNICEF have been working feverishly to improve on this but it is still at a general 69% for those receiving just the DTP vaccine (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis). Most deaths (about 10 million!) are due to a lack of childhood vaccines. Prevention is so so so important!  

References:

http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/6/06-031526/en/

Birthing Experiences in Another Country

( The Cliffs of Moher taken 3/2011)

I choose to look up the birthing experience in Ireland (mostly in part because I had just been there). I was taken aback by how different the process is there versus her in the United States. I expected to see a similar model of medical intervention but upon remembering how depressed the country actually is (despite how beautiful it is) I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. There are 2 main birthing models in Ireland one is the governments model called “Maternity and Infant Care Scheme” and the private option of “Midwifery”. I will briefly explain both.

                The Maternity and Infant Care Scheme has requirements and I compare it to Pennsylvania’s ACCESS option (which is free health care). An expecting mother has to show residency within the republic. No health care is required. What shocked me even more is that ALL services are free. Exams and the delivery are entitled free of charge out of respect for the birth. Here’s the difference…the mother receives her first exam before 12 weeks. Then, provided everything looks “normal”, 7 and only 7 more checkups occur. There are also no birthing classes or infant care education. There is no prenatal screenings such as diabetes, genetic disorders, blood pressure, ect. In the United States a woman has a check up as soon as pregnancy is suspected and every month following until about the beginning of the 8^th month. Exams are then scheduled for every other week. At 9 months the exams are weekly and can even occur 2 times in a week.

               The second model is Midwifery. This compares closely to our version of the Midwife birthing experience. It is private and you have the option of an at home birth or a hospital birth. Since this is a private option care is customized and an expectant mother can see her midwife monthly and obtain all the screenings we consider routine. The expecting family has to pay out of pocket for these services but it seems to offer more comprehensive care.

                The other bit of information I found was that physicians only primarily handle high risk pregnancies and midwives or clinical nurses handle the “normal” cases.

Websites used for reference:

http://ireland.angloinfo.com/healthcare/having-a-baby/pre-natal-care/

http://www.irishhealth.com/clin/pregnancy/conditions02.php?con=166#q2

http://informedbirthireland.com/prenatal.htm

My Personal Experience...

(My Husband and Dylan October 2005)

On Black Friday of 2004 I found out my life was going to change forever. I was only 20 years old, still in college, and not married yet. How could this happen? We were careful and precautious. Now we were preparing for a baby! I remember everything as if it were yesterday. My parents were furious with me and Dean. My in-laws however, took me in, supported us, and helped us to be as educated and prepared as possible. I was, and still am, so grateful they gave us the chance to be successful. Without their support things could have turned out much more different.

                My prenatal experience was pretty uneventful. I went to all of my appointments every month and had a plethora of preventative testing done. By the grace of God I was healthy and so was my (now 7 years old) baby. I was due July 20, 2005. That summer was painfully hot. I remember walking a lot because it was the only way I could get some relief. The doctors had told me young first time mothers can deliver 2 weeks late and they consider that standard. I was praying that would not be the case because by the time July came around I was completely miserable.

                The 4^th of July came and all I could do that day was sit. I wasn’t in pain I just remember feeling really weird because the baby was moving down and I could feel it. I had just been to the doctor the day before and they had shared with me that I was not ready yet to have the baby. So I ignored the weird feeling I had. The following night (July 5^th) my, now husband, took me out to dinner at the Olive Garden. I hadn’t really been away from the house at all that week and was starting to get stir crazy. I had eggplant parm, a salad, and a soda. My husband ate an obscene amount of “never ending” pasta. I was so tired so we went home straight after. By the time we got in it was around 10:30pm. I put on pajamas and “rolled” into bed. Just as my head hit the pillow WHOOSH! It was as if the flood gates had opened. Even though it was my pregnancy experience I knew what had just happen. My water broke. Intense contractions started immediately so off to the hospital we went. I was examined right away and sure enough I was 9 ½ cm and in full labor. I heard (for the 100^th time) that this would be a long experience for me that could take longer than 24 hours. Boy, were they wrong. At about 1:30am I received an epidural. About an hour later I told the nurse I felt like I needed to push. After she argued with me that these things take time she agreed to check me. I can still see the look on her face today. It was time! 4 pushes and 20 minutes later the most beautiful baby boy I have ever laid my eyes on was in my arms. Dylan Michael was born on July 6^th, 2005 at 3:15am. He was 5 lbs 14 ounces and was 21 inches long. At that moment every fear I had melted away as I realized I was ready to be a mother. It’s been almost seven years now and he is the love of my life. I still can see my little baby every time I look at him.

                There was so much we did not know about the prenatal process. I feel that if we didn’t take the initiative to reach for support from my husband’s parents, the doctors, and nurses we may have made some poor decisions that could have affected our son. Until the doctor fully explained it to me I had no idea how important vitamins and screenings are to an unborn child. I also wasn’t aware of the physical considerations I would have to take to protect me and the baby. I could have really impacted the baby’s development for the worse if I did not seek out the support and education. Now, I feel like there is so much more education and support offered to expecting mothers than there was 7 years ago (even though that’s really not that long ago). You are automatically guided step by step through each process I choose to share this experience with you 1. Because I felt initially so unprepared for this, and 2. Because I had support and I believe it made all the difference. Now most women are given support through various organizations. There are places that offer free services so that families can give children the best opportunity for development. I feel this is great progress and the birthing experience can truly be a wonderful thing.