Child Development and Public Health

“Nutrition is the science of food and how the body uses the foods taken in” (Berger, 2016). Children’s health and development is affected when there are problems with under nutrition, malnutrition and overeating. “Malnutrition damages the health, physical and cognitive development of children” (Berger, 2016).

This topic is meaningful to me because I work for a Head Start program and we serve low income families. I think about the children and families and how they may not get the proper nutrition at home. These children may not eat once they leave to go home for the day. It is my responsibility as a teacher to make sure children get their nutritional needs.

Ethiopia is one of the most countries that experience malnutrition. Ethiopia is a very low income country which is the number one cause of malnutrition. Deaths are high in these countries because the lack of nutrition.

This information will impact my work because I will look at my children’s health and think about how it is affected by their nutrition. When my children ask me for food no matter what time of day. I will give it to them. Especially when they come in late I will make sure to save them breakfast or give them some kind of snack.

Reference:

Berger, K. S. (2016). The developing person through childhood (7th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

A personal birthing experience that I have had is my grandson. I remember everything about grandson’s birth. His mom had him 2 weeks early while I was gone on a cruise. I was so sad because I wasn’t there to see the birth of my first grandchild. My daughter’s step mom video called me and I got to see the whole birth. I had to talk my daughter through the delivery on a video. I chose this example because when my daughter was pregnant she didn’t have any fluid. They told her from the beginning of her pregnancy that my grandson would have kidney problems. They told us he wasn’t going to survive but a couple of days. The day she had him he had to be transported to another hospital in the NICU to have surgery to start dialysis.

When babies are born they immediately respond to the world around them. What happens with a baby at birth has a huge impact on a child’s development later in life. Prenatal health care is very important. This way you will learn about your baby’s health and development early during pregnancy.

Birth is similar and different in other parts of the world. “In Kenya a bride lives with her husband until her pregnancy” (Vanishing and Emerging Culture, 2012). Then she returns home with her mother for the next 3 to 4 years. “With the birth of a baby the women becomes a boofeydo or “someone who has made an error” (Vanishing and Emerging Culture, 2012).

Reference

Vanishing and Emerging Culture. (2012). Vanishing Cultures Photography. Retrieved 12 January 2018, from http://www.vanishingculturesphotography.com