Consequences of Stress on Children's Development Video~Joplin MO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KIaGlFtWDw

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

As I reflect upon the birth of my last child. I am reminded of the joys that came along with her arrival in addition to the unforseen stressors such as health complications, and the realities of genetic testing. No one can ever prepare you for the curve ball that may come after the birth of your child, especially if you had a normall pregnancy. When my infant was born she was diagnossed with a merconium plug, and also had an imature suck @ birth. There were several other complications that were present, and we had to be in the neo-natal unit for 2-weeks. During those two weeks, my newborn endured blood draws, poking, proding, as well as other procedures to test her heart, and to remove the merconium plug. The stressors of having such a rough start, and not being able to bond initially were difficult for us as her parents in addition to her being a newborn infant. There were some traumatic responses that she demonstrated as a result of her being in the NICU such as shivers, crying, and de-attachment. Those memories are probally long gone for now, however the impact of her experience will always be in my heart. There were several key stakeholders who contributed our little one's succes, and enabled us to connect with people who could intervene and help us on our journey with our new baby. We had a lactaction consultant, who was there to help support me in my efforts of breastfeeding despite the sucking challenges she had. We also had a parent coordinator who was instrumental in connecting us with the CDSA. The CDSA provided early intervention support to enusre that she was devleoping appropriately, and there to provide intervention services with physical, speech, and play therapist. They were great supporters, and as a result of their services, our daughter is the typical 2year old and developing quite nicely.

Recently, there has been several outbreaks of tornados in the mid-west. In particular Joplin, Missouri has recently been the latest victims of the mother nature's fury. When natural disasters occur, there are many people impacted, and mostly the lives of young chlidren are most disrupted. Even in times of crisis children need the experience of being children by playing, coloring, and just simply being a child. According the the NACCRRA website there are over 500 children without childcare. In an effort to minimize harm, and other stressors they are taking donations to relieve the financial restraints of child care supplies in additon to individual children's emergency needs. Items include but are not limited to the following: Childrens books, Infant/toddler/preschool clothes, toys, brib blankets, diapers, wipes, sippy bups, bottles, and infant formula. For more information on ways you can help contact : Child Care Aware of Missouri Attn: Joplin 1000 Executive Parkway Dr. Ste 103 St. Louis MO 63141
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KIaGlFtWDw

Public Health Topic: Breastfeeding

Traditonal Birth Attendant Liberia Video Clip

My Personal Birthing Experience~Traditonal birth attendants in Liberia.

Having my second child a little over a year ago was nothing like my experience when I had my 10 year old in 2000. They were two different experiences. With my first child I was in labor for 10 1/2 hours and had a c-section after the long labor. While in recovery, the nurse brought my new born to me to nurse she immediately latched on with no problems, everything was perfect. She passed all test, and she had no medical complications. However with my second child, my pregnancy presented some minor challenges, as well as the delivery. My second child had a merconium plug (intestinal blockage) which caused a few problems and required us to be in the NICU. Being there made me sensitive to the hardships families face when things go wrong during the delivery process. It can be quite scary, however through innovative technology, and a caring team of medical professionals we were able to overcome the challenges that my little one faced. My thoughts regarding birth and the impact on child development are earmarked by my personal experiences. I believe that from the beginning children need observant, caring, knowledgeable caretakers/parents who will responsive to their specific needs. I am an avid believer of early intervention because intervention is just that, intervening before delays onset. Intervention helps with the fostering of healthy development in young children. As a parent, having an awesome support system in place to help us through some of the hurdles that we experienced made it possible to lovingly guide my little one.

I choose Liberia as a place to research birthing experiences. I found interesting facts regarding the efforts that have been implemented to ensure that women and children have safe, clean deliveries in a country that is recovering from years of war. The video clip shares the birth attendant’s perspectives as trainees as well as live footage of the hands on experience that the organization provides. What I found most unique about the methodology for teaching was the use of songs and drama skits to re-enact scenarios that might occur. This is done because most of the women are illiterate; however they are able to possess the remarkable strength to be leaders in their communities as birth attendants. The video is a bit lengthy, but I am sure you will enjoy the perspective of a resilient country on the rise from war and oppression.