Poverty in Childhood

Poverty and Children’s Development




The early childhood years are critical times for development and growth. Poverty, which is living below a certain amount of income, is a particular stressor for children and families. Children that live at or below the poverty line may not have access to quality education, nutrition, or medical care. In the United States there are several programs designed to help children who fall in this category. One is the Medicare/Medicaid program, which serves under income children and provides them with access to quality medical care. Another program is Head Start, which serves low-income children and families with the hopes of giving them an equal “head start” as they enter their school careers. The United States has developed these programs to give children necessary aide; however, they do not always act as an equalizer.

A friend of mine was listed in the poverty status as a child. While we were in school, he received free breakfast and lunch daily. Our school also provided him with clothes and supplies through some type of aide program. Although my friend technically lived in poverty, he was fortunate in the fact that he did not know he did. He had two wonderful, caring parents who gave him a lot of affection and care while he was growing up. My friend only had three school outfits but they were always clean. When he entered high school, he got a job and starting helping his parents. As he grew, he just accepted that he was not able to do things that other children did. My friend is now a college graduate and has a decent salary working for a distributing company.

In other parts of the world, unfortunately children may not be so lucky. The slums of India are over-crowded with little to no modern amenities like running water and electricity. According to The Economist (2007) many families live in a “home” that is no larger than 90 square feet with only a single water tap exists for every ten homes. While there is plenty of work in this area the jobs do not pay well. Children are sent to school but only sporadically. However, there are new programs like the Rural School project, which is attempting to get more children in schools by building more schools in rural areas. Thirty-eight percent (380 million people) of India’s population live below the poverty line.

Public Health Measures

Today, there are many public health measures such as vaccinations, that help to prolong the lives of children.  Sudden infant death syndrome is "a situation in which a seemingly healthy infant, as least 2 months of age, suddenly stops breathing and dies unexpectedly while asleep" (Berger, 2009, p. 153).  The death of a child to SIDS must be horrible for expectant parents.  There are many suggestions that children should sleep on their backs while being in a cool room and not have too many loose blankets.  In England, in the 1980s a study was done by the Briton Medical Journal examining rates of SIDS to different ethnic groups.  The study found that children who co-slept with their child had a lower risk of SIDS than children who slept along due to the fact of the mother's close proximity and contact.  While SIDS cases continue to happen though out the world rates have been declining.  Parents and caregivers should be vigilant to keep a check on baby while baby sleeps during the night and never put baby to sleep on their stomach. 

Reference

Blarajan, R., Raleigh, V., and Botting, B. (1989). Briton Medical Journal. 298 pg. 716-721.

Birthing Experience

A Birthing Experience




The birthing experience that I am going to discuss is the birth of my youngest niece, who just turned twenty in March. I chose her birth because it was the first one that I was old enough to remember. My sister was several days past her due date and on Thursday, March 12, she began having contractions but they were not consistent. Our family is very superstitious so having the baby on Friday the 13 was not an option so her doctor put her to walking laps around her house. She was admitted into the hospital and gave birth to my niece at 11:50pm after ten hours of labor. When my sister saw, my niece my sister and her husband named her and my sister told the baby that she had been waiting for her. I believe that birth has an affect on child development because it is literally the beginning of life. If a child experiences complications at birth, they may lead to a lifetime of complications.

In China, births do occur in the hospital but many births occur at home. All Chinese women are expected to give birth un-medicated because it shows their strength and readiness to become mothers. Chinese births and pregnancies are heavily influenced by culture. The expectant mother is traditionally helped by other female family members but does not have visitors typically until a few days after the birth of the baby. Expectant mothers are also usually required to stay indoors for one month after birth to let their bodies recover. In the United States, some mothers do not get that option and only a few days after birth life resumes as normal.

Work Referenced

Kartchner, Robin, and Lynn Clark Callister. Giving birth: Voices of Chinese Women. Journal of

Holistic Nursing. Vol 21. Pg. 110-127.