A little girl I had in my Head Start class the first year I taught struggled with hunger issues. I first noticed it when she started coming to school and immediately asking for food. I would walk her through the daily routine and let her know how long until we would have snack. When it came to snack time she would stuff her mouth full of food and acted like she could not get enough. This eventually turned into hording issues where she would worry about not having enough food during snack and lunch. To set her mind at ease we always made sure to have enough food on the table. She was underweight and had health issues. I ended up talking to Mom about it and she admitted they were having problems getting food. We helped her get the information for her to get her family on food stamps and helped her get food baskets for immediate need. Even after I felt like this little girl was getting the nutrition she so desperately needed we still had a lot of work to do. It was ingrained in her mind to worry about food. She was behind academically and socially withdrawn. I believe all this had to do with the fact she was so focused on getting her basic survival needs met.
United States
Did you know? In 2008, nearly 9 million children died before they reached their fifth birthday. One third of these deaths are due directly or indirectly to hunger and malnutrition
Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes. That's one child every five seconds.
4.0 percent of U.S. households experience hunger. Some people in these households frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for a whole day. 11.1 million People, including 430 thousand children, live in these homes.
India
Child malnutrition rates are worse here than in many sub-Saharan African countries. The India State Hunger Index analyzes hunger levels in 17 major states across India. State hunger index scores range from “serious” to “extremely alarming.”
The India State Hunger Index also found that poorer Indian states have substantially higher levels of hunger than the more prosperous ones. Even states with high rates of economic growth in recent years, such as Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra, have high levels of hunger, while states with relatively slower economic growth, such as Punjab, achieved a lower hunger level.
The national nutrition policy is focusing on the right age group pregnant, lactating mothers and children under the age of two. This age group is critical to address nutrition. And they did so a long time back, even compared to where India is today. It is encouraging that several states are moving towards crafting nutrition strategies and missions. Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and even Bihar are states that are showing sincere interest.
References
Dassani, V. (2008, October 18). India faces urgent hunger situation. Retrieved from http://www.ifpri.org/pressrelease/india-faces-urgent-hunger-situation
Menon, P. (2010, October 16). Reduce malnourishment to improve India’s hunger index scores. Retrieved from http://southasia.oneworld.net/weekend/reduce-malnourishment-to-improve-indias-hunger-index-scores-purnima-menon
Weinreb, L. (2002). Hunger: its impact on children’s health and mental health. Official Journal Academy of Pediatrics, 110(4), Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/110/4/e41.full doi: doi: 10.1542/peds.110.4.e41
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Child Development and Public Health
Breastfeeding
When I had my first child I struggled with breastfeeding and had to look to a lactation consultant to come into my home and help me get started. I took breastfeeding classes prior to having my first child and felt I was prepared, but found the whole process much harder than I expected. I was worried my daughter was not getting enough milk I had no idea I would be in pain with engorgement issues. After the consultant helped me and set my mind at ease everything started getting easier. I ended up breastfeeding both of my daughters until they were the age of two and a half. I watched them develop into healthy children and I felt I was giving them the best nutritious start possible. Some of the many benefits of breastfeeding are they boost your child’s immune system and protects against infection, protects against illness, gives protection against allergies, and enhances development and intelligence. After a rough start I found breastfeeding to be so easy. I was able to take my children many places without worrying about taking bottles along and it was completely free.
China is still lagging behind national and global breastfeeding targets, health experts say. Approximately only 20 percent of mothers in China breastfeed their infants for at least six months. The findings come from a recent study of urban mothers, who are more likely to cease breastfeeding earlier than their rural counterparts. This is in contrast with Rwanda who has one of the highest rates of breastfeeding. It is common practice for mothers in Rwanda to carry their babies in slings attached to their bodies some of them practice Kangaroo Care, which is skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby. At 20-23 months, 77% of Rwandan mothers still breastfed their infants in combination with other foods.
I believe breastfeeding your child is very important. It is the natural food source; forms close bonds, and give your child a wonderful start. My hope for the future would be to give new mothers support and education about the benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and the child.
When I had my first child I struggled with breastfeeding and had to look to a lactation consultant to come into my home and help me get started. I took breastfeeding classes prior to having my first child and felt I was prepared, but found the whole process much harder than I expected. I was worried my daughter was not getting enough milk I had no idea I would be in pain with engorgement issues. After the consultant helped me and set my mind at ease everything started getting easier. I ended up breastfeeding both of my daughters until they were the age of two and a half. I watched them develop into healthy children and I felt I was giving them the best nutritious start possible. Some of the many benefits of breastfeeding are they boost your child’s immune system and protects against infection, protects against illness, gives protection against allergies, and enhances development and intelligence. After a rough start I found breastfeeding to be so easy. I was able to take my children many places without worrying about taking bottles along and it was completely free.
China is still lagging behind national and global breastfeeding targets, health experts say. Approximately only 20 percent of mothers in China breastfeed their infants for at least six months. The findings come from a recent study of urban mothers, who are more likely to cease breastfeeding earlier than their rural counterparts. This is in contrast with Rwanda who has one of the highest rates of breastfeeding. It is common practice for mothers in Rwanda to carry their babies in slings attached to their bodies some of them practice Kangaroo Care, which is skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby. At 20-23 months, 77% of Rwandan mothers still breastfed their infants in combination with other foods.
I believe breastfeeding your child is very important. It is the natural food source; forms close bonds, and give your child a wonderful start. My hope for the future would be to give new mothers support and education about the benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and the child.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Childbirth- In Your Life and Around the World
My Birthing Story
I was 25 when I had my first daughter. I felt I was prepared. I was done with college; I had worked with children pretty much my entire life, and wanted to be a mother more than anything. As the day came closer I could not wait to meet my daughter. I only had two weeks until my due date when preeclampsia sent me in to see my doctor. I trusted his opinion and we had a wonderful working medical relationship. We decided to induce and get the process rolling since I was now at risk. I was in labor for 27 hours. I could not believe all women went through this. It made me think of women and mothering in a completely different light. I was in awe of the whole process and also in a bit of shock about natural childbirth and the pain which went along with it. I ended up having a healthy baby girl and did the whole process over to have my second child.
I chose this example because it was one of the biggest events in my life. It changed me and made me love something more than I could ever imagine. I also felt a sense of great accomplishment and understanding about being a mother and a kinship with other women who had already had a birthing story to tell.
I believe the setting of the birth, the demeanor of the mother, and the environment as a whole effects child development. All of these factors play into how the child will see their world. I was much more relaxed when having my second child and in turn she was a relaxed baby. She was very easy to breastfeed and sooth. Babies pick up on these feelings and the environment affects them.
Birth in Rural Russia
Midwives or village grandmothers used folk medicine to help the delivery of babies in rural Russia, and mothers returned to their work in the fields after delivery. Women had little chance for maternity leave. Fields had to be worked and animals tended to. Typically a woman returned to work three days after while an older sibling would care for the baby. Midwives used traditional methods to help the mother during delivery. Many women used non-traditional birthing methods. One was hanging from the rafters of a barn. Gravity would assist with the birthing. Mothers did not look toward traditional medicine for advice as they understood the Midwives and grandmothers knew more about the birthing process.
My birthing story is completely different than the women from rural Russia. I used modern medicine and had my child in the hospital. The Russian women had their children at home and sometimes in the field they were working. Even though the stories are completely different, this is a natural process women have always gone through and your body will guide you through the process.
I was 25 when I had my first daughter. I felt I was prepared. I was done with college; I had worked with children pretty much my entire life, and wanted to be a mother more than anything. As the day came closer I could not wait to meet my daughter. I only had two weeks until my due date when preeclampsia sent me in to see my doctor. I trusted his opinion and we had a wonderful working medical relationship. We decided to induce and get the process rolling since I was now at risk. I was in labor for 27 hours. I could not believe all women went through this. It made me think of women and mothering in a completely different light. I was in awe of the whole process and also in a bit of shock about natural childbirth and the pain which went along with it. I ended up having a healthy baby girl and did the whole process over to have my second child.
I chose this example because it was one of the biggest events in my life. It changed me and made me love something more than I could ever imagine. I also felt a sense of great accomplishment and understanding about being a mother and a kinship with other women who had already had a birthing story to tell.
I believe the setting of the birth, the demeanor of the mother, and the environment as a whole effects child development. All of these factors play into how the child will see their world. I was much more relaxed when having my second child and in turn she was a relaxed baby. She was very easy to breastfeed and sooth. Babies pick up on these feelings and the environment affects them.
Birth in Rural Russia
Midwives or village grandmothers used folk medicine to help the delivery of babies in rural Russia, and mothers returned to their work in the fields after delivery. Women had little chance for maternity leave. Fields had to be worked and animals tended to. Typically a woman returned to work three days after while an older sibling would care for the baby. Midwives used traditional methods to help the mother during delivery. Many women used non-traditional birthing methods. One was hanging from the rafters of a barn. Gravity would assist with the birthing. Mothers did not look toward traditional medicine for advice as they understood the Midwives and grandmothers knew more about the birthing process.
My birthing story is completely different than the women from rural Russia. I used modern medicine and had my child in the hospital. The Russian women had their children at home and sometimes in the field they were working. Even though the stories are completely different, this is a natural process women have always gone through and your body will guide you through the process.
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