Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

In Baltimore, Maryland, I had a friend who survived poverty with her mother. Her mother used drugs until the day she died.  My friend, Marie*,  learned quickly to not to follow the same path.  When Marie was a senior in high school, she became pregnant and walked the path of poverty.  The child's father did not want to get involve with child-rearing. He only wanted one thing from my friend, which we all hear so often in this world.  Eventually, Marie became pregnant again with different man. Marie and her beautiful daughters continued to live from one home to another. She couldn't afford rent or anything else even though Marie has social security income, food stamp, and WIC.

One day, Marie asked me if she could stay at our apartment until she gets on her feet. My husband and I allowed Marie and her daughters to live with us for a while. I remembered seeing two little girls running to the kitchen with smiles on faces. This was the first time they saw refrigerator filled with food. Oddly, the food was gone within 3 days.  I approached Marie and asked about it. She said, she threw them out after using them once or twice.  I was upset. We went out and bought some more food. We asked Marie and kids clearly not to throw anything that is still good.

Marie found a job. Then her oldest daughter's father showed up wanting one thing from her (it is not the money).  We had to kick him out to protect the young children from watching it happening.  Marie slacked off her responsibility as a mother. My husband had to take the oldest daughter to school. I took care of the baby.

It became worse to a point where we had to ask them to leave.  The family left and continued their journey on poverty path.  Every time I visited them, I always brought clothes and food for them.

Now the family lives in Florida with a hope to climb out of the poverty.  Their eating habit worsened.  They could not afford healthy food, so they purchased cheap branded food. This led to weight issue.

The daughters experienced stress constantly from being poverty.  Their security is meager. They learned that men are persons to rely on for survival. The oldest hates her mother (Marie) for moving so often, for having different men, for not having things she wanted, and she is now going out into cities doing things she is not supposed to be doing at this age.  The youngest clings onto Marie, but is very overweight and tries to please her mother all the time.

A life on Yap Island, Micronesia: The Island of Stone Money

It is being said the life on Yap, 
"It is becoming a big challenge for Yapese to be self-sufficient economically
while at the same time respecting their own traditions." (KUWAHARA, S., 2001).

Although over the years Yap Island always had the accessibilities to fruits, fish, and other wonderfully delicious food without the needing to earn money to purchase food, Yap Island accepted western lifestyle (ie: trading, education, money exchange) and this creates difficulties for Yapese to earn sufficient money to feed the family and to obtain items they need.

These changes have impact on children whose parents might continue practice old traditions.  Children, who grew up in modern civilized lifestyle battle with old traditions, face health, social, and cognition challenges.  First, their health greatly improved through obtaining medications and supplements from western organizations. Second, education improved because western assisted building schools. Third, technologies improved their accessibilities to trading business.

The downside is that the parents want the younger generation to carry old traditions such as farming, dancing, and so forth, which apparent to be difficult with money being tied to everything (entertainment, tourism, and trading).


Bisocial: New generations (children) are receiving adequate nutrition naturally. However, those who heavily depend on money might experience more difficulties in obtaining adequate nutrition. Nutrition promotes healthy growth.

Cognitive: Since the island is facing tourists and business leaders, children are exposed to newer information, attitude, and style. Their thinking skills may differ from their parents and grandparents who were raised in old tradition. On upside, yap children have the opportunity to go to colleges.

Psychosocial:  Because the island is a tourism place, children might feel stressed to help their parents finding jobs to pay the bills. At the same time, they may feel conflicted upon how to please the parents and themselves in regards to old tradition and western lifestyle.

There is no particular way to prevent further damages in parent-child relationship except for adapting and accepting both "worlds." This is rather challenging for parents and children, in my opinion, to experience rapid changes in their village.

Kuwahara, S.,Kagoshima University Research Center for the Pacific Islands, Occasional Papers No.34, 15-24, 2001
Part 1, Section 1, Report 2. The Progress Report of the 1999 Survey of the Research Project
“Social Homeostasis of Small Islands in an Island-zone”

Childbirth-In your life and Around the World

Childbirth has always fantasizing me. Although I have not experienced a personal childbirth, I have participated in someone's childbirth. There are two childbirth experiences that put a lot of impacts on me.


First Childbirth Experience:

My friend was about 23 or 24 years old (same age as I was) when she gave birth to a female baby.  I spent the night with my friend at her residence.  Her labor began with some bleeding. She asked me what we should do and I suggested that we visit the hospital.  By the time we arrived at the hospital, she started to have labor. The labor and childbirth took about 9 hours. I sat with her. I allowed her to clasp my hand as hard as she wanted. Her labor decreased through the day, which was not what medical professionals wanted; therefore, they administered medication to increase the labor. 

Since the mother is deaf, she had hard time requesting for an interpreter.  The hospital could not find anyone to interpret. I contacted my sister who lived a block away from the hospital in Maryland.  My sister interpreted until certified interpreter arrived. Without interpreter, it was somewhat terrifying for mother to not know what was happening with her body and the baby.

As the mother reached the birthing point, she permitted me to watch the birth up close.  It was utterly amazing! When the baby showed its head, I said, "she definitely looks like her father!"  The father was not in the room.  He wanted to wait until after the birth.  It was exciting time for everyone. We all wanted to hold her.

The parents asked me to be the godmother of this child and I accepted the offer. Fast forward ten years, Erika (the child) is ten years old and is a bright girl.  She knows me as her aunt.  My role has an impact on Erika's child development, because I was able to provide some of things she needed; especially clothings.

Second Childbirth experience:

This was not the best childbirth experience. My youngest sister was four month pregnant when she found herself bleeding excessively. She was brought to the hospital.

All of my family members were there except me. No one bothered to contact me to inform me of the early birth. 

My sister had to give birth to stillborn. She reported that it was painful and uncomfortable. After the birth, she was given an opportunity to look at 4 month fetus that showed hands, legs, fingers, genital, and face.  When she realized I was not present at the event, she became very upset and demanded to know why I did not show up. 

A few months after miscarriage, she was pregnant with my nephew who came along 9 month later. Picture above-Gabriel as a baby.  He is now 8 years old.

Giving Birth in France:

http://riviera.angloinfo.com/countries/france/birth.asp
http://www.livingfrance.com/expert-advice-healthcare-healthcare-pregnancy-giving-birth-in-france--4481

In France, there are detailed descriptions how parents can prepare the birth.

1. Once pregnancy is identified, the mothers need to bring her family history. The medical professionals will do blood examination to filter for allergies and identify diseases that may present risks.
2. Parents must fill out several documentation to declare the pregnancy to receive France National Insurance.
3. Medical Administration is to give pamphlets to the parents to review the maternal leave and maternity record book.
     A. Parents must fill out the maternity record book with documentation of   
         pregnancy procedures, consultations, and appointments.
     B. Establish follow up
     C. If parents follow this procedure, mothers will be entitled to 100% 
         reimbursement.
     D. If parents chose not to follow through with this procedure, parents may 
         find themselves in financial jeopardy (no refund or allowance to cover the
         pregnancy and birth).
     E. Offer labor class
     F. Offer pass to pregnant women to use to demand that someone gives up his 
         seat on public transportation for them and to allow them go into front of
         lines in public places.

France offers employment and maternal leave protection. Women are given 16 weeks maternal leave with pay for the first and second child.  If women have third, they are given 26 weeks maternal leave with pay. Fathers are given family leave.

When birth dues, women are encouraged to obtain midwife at maternal hospital to prevent further risks on mothers and infants.  Birth at home is uncommon and it is becoming trend.  France may change its regulation to support home births in the future.

France is known for providing high standard medical care to mothers and infants. However, the catch is that parents need to submit all the documentations and follow through with the procedures to receive full benefits. 

As I read information on birth in France, I realized that if mothers in France are given extended maternal leave, the infants would greatly benefit from social development with their mothers.  This possibly reduces the stress on the mothers and babies.  Oftentimes, in our country the mothers experience stress from obtaining maternal leave and ensuring that they receive sufficient pay. Then they have to worry about finding caregivers to care the babies when mothers return to work after 8 weeks.

I have watched a mother trying to arrange maternal leave only to find out that she must have plenty of personal time off hours to have 8 weeks off. Her company does not offer maternal leave. She only had six weeks worth of personal time off. Her husband and co-workers donated their personal time off hours to the mother.  After 8 weeks, she felt she need to stay home with the baby, but she could not afford to do so.  She returned to work.

Does our country support mothers and babies at lower rate than other countries? This would truly sadden me because to maintain life cycle--populating must continue.