~ STRESS on CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT~

I have a friend from New Orleans, Louisiana. She move to my home town after the Katrina Disaster. She has two children who were not coping with the disaster at all. It affect them a lot. Delois move was the best move for her and the girls. The girls really enjoy being in a new place. They adjusted very well in school, outside of school, in their community, and the church they have became members of.

Delois mentioned to me that most residents of metro New Orleans were unaware of the potential destruction of Katrina until Saturday August 28, less than 48 hours before it struck. In New Orleans violent tropical storms are routine and hurricanes are a seasonal reminder of the power of “mother nature.”  Delois also stated as a resident of the city I have often been faced with a choice of whether or not to evacuate, always judging whether this would be the fabled “big one.”

Indeed it was. Delois managed to maintain in a new state and stay on top.Looking at this disaster one cannot ignore the ecological component. New Orleans, like many major cities, was built in a place that posed danger, but environmental problems of global warming and coastal erosion have exacerbated the precariousness of the city.Marshes and wetlands help to slow a hurricane’s effect as it approaches the city. But erosion has diminished the size and ability of the coastal marsh and swamp to absorb the hurricane’s force. Coastal erosion has two important causes.One is that the once rich river silt that built the delta is now being directed to deep waters off the continental shelf to allow for easy river navigation. The second is salt water intrusion from canals built for oil and natural gas drilling and pipeline needs.
Many children are experiencing these same type of disaster in Missouri as well. I think all children that experience any type of disaster is affected biosocial,cognitive, and psychosocial. This will be with them a life time. They will always be able to recall that moment in time.

The Developing Person Through Childhood
Chapter 8 Early Childhood : Bisocial Development
Chapter 9 Early Childhood:  Cognitive Development
Chapter 10 Early Childhood: Psychosocial Development

~ CHILD DEVELOPMENT and PUBLIC HEALTH~

I chose Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. I chose this topic because there are so many parents lose their babies due to this known death. I've read many articles and my text book on this commonly known death and still can't believe there is no true cause for this type of death. I must say indeed this is a very scary way to lose a infant. Most people say this death can come from laying a baby on their stomach but reseachers hadn't stated that cause.I've had friends in the past to experience SIDS. It was mentioned that ifant mortality woldwide has plummeted in recent years. Several reasons were stated that has been already put into place which are advances in newborn care, better nutrition, access to clean water, and widespread immunization. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a situation in which a seemingly healthy infant, at least two months of age, suddenly stops breathing and dies unexpectedly while asleep. If an autopsy is done carefully investigations find no apparent cause of death, the diagnosis is SIDS (Byard, 2004).  In 1990 in the United States, about 5,000 babies died of SIDS about 1 infant in 800 Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and every European and South American nation experienced a similar rate.It also helps to be born in the spring, because babies born then have fewer bedclothes in the summer, when they are 2 to 6 months old the time of highest SIDS deaths (Li et al., 2006).

References
 The Developing Person Through Childhood
Chapter 5, “The First Two Years: Biosocial Development

~CHILD BIRTH~

I've witnessed one childbirth in my entire life. It was my childhood friend. She was a single parent at the time. I felt I needed to be there for support. Everything went so smooth I didn't think it would go as well as it did. She started having contractions. Janice call me and stated it was time. We had already planned I would be the one to drive her to the hospital. I got dressed and drove to Janice's house then to the hostipal we made it just in time. Once in the ER Janice stated to me and the staff personnel he's coming. Janice was very clam. It was April 7,1994 when Janice gave birth to a 7lb 04 ounce handsome baby boy. The room Janice was placed in was so nice she didn't  have to leave that room  for anything, everything happened in that one room. The nursey was set up before the baby arrived wood grain crib, drawers,and changing table. Janice's delivery was amazing no screaming, no crying, just joy and all smiles. Jayden is now 17 years old and planning to attend college in the fall. A star was born.~ 

I don't think I want to see another birth because it probably want be as peacful as the first birth I watched.
I do know that birth is a blessing and a time for joy so I would like to keep it that way...