stressors

Hunger is a meaningful topic for me because of an article I read a few weeks ago. Children that have no access to food not only harm their body but it also affects their mental state.  There have been researchers that have revealed that poor diet during early development (0-3yrs) leads to learning and memory deficits, lower IQ and school achievement, and behavioral problems in childhood and adolescence (Mcgregor, (1995). Hunger has also been linked to conditions such as Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.  In UK, they are battling with hunger and a lack of resources to obtain food. Children are suffering extreme neglect and malnutrition. At an alarming rate, children are dying from hunger in the UK. The government is currently exploring solutions to this problem but not fast enough.

Reference:

Grantham-Mcgregor, S. (1995). A Review of Studies of the Effect of Severe

Malnutrition on Mental Development. The Journal of Nutrition. 125:

2233S-2238S

Child Development and Public Health

Nutrition/Malnutrition is a meaningful topic for me because of a story I came across a few weeks ago. Children that are not having the correct nutrition not only harm their body but it also affects their mental state.  There have been researchers that have revealed that poor diet during early development (0-3yrs) leads to learning and memory deficits, lower IQ and school achievement, and behavioral problems in childhood and adolescence (Mcgregor, (1995).Malnutrition has often also been linked to conditions such as ADHD, Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.  

I remember reading a story about children in the UK and how they were battling with malnutrition. Over in the UK, the children are suffering extreme neglect and malnutrition. Although very alarming, children are still dying from severe malnutrition. I remember they specifically mentioned a 7 year old boy named Khyra Ishaq who should not have lost his life due to food.  The latest figures calculated in the UK reveal that 4 million children in the UK are living in poverty.  It’s also been found that 16% were

severely stunted, 14% wasted and 20% at risk of severe malnutrition. This world must find ways to reach out and make sure no one is dying because they are experiencing malnutrition, hunger or food insecurity. I do my best making sure all of my students can at least have food for nourishment while on campus.

Reference:

Grantham-Mcgregor, S. (1995). A Review of Studies of the Effect of Severe

Malnutrition on Mental Development. The Journal of Nutrition. 125:

2233S-2238S

Childbirth in your life and around the world

I believe that the birthing experience is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, I haven’t experienced this beauty yet. I have no kids and I do not remember my birthing experience.

I always wanted to visit Thailand so I did a little research on Thailand’s birthing experiences. Thailand is very similar to the US except they do have a few traditions after the birth of a child.

First, when a baby is born, on the 3^rd day the baby is placed into a basket with a pencil and a notebook (for brightness), and money (for richness); girls are also given knives (to cut and comb hair) and cooking utensils. The basket with the baby and instruments is then handed over to “a respectable man in the village. This means that the baby became his adopted child temporarily, in the US we call this “God Parents”

Second, a child is not given a name until the fifth day after birth. Another interesting point is that babies are also sometimes given a mixture of banana, honey, and water to prevent diarrhea. If the baby cries too much and cannot sleep, it is believed that the baby’s guardian spirit, “Mae Sue” is teasing the newborn too much. I really enjoyed learning about the different things that the Thailand culture follows.