Stressors Related to Poverty and the Development of Young Children

               The incidence of poverty in our country is on the rise.  Statistics collected by the United States Bureau of Census for 2010 state that 22% of all children under the age of 18 live in poverty. This is the highest rate since 1993.  In September, the New York Times published an article listing  the cities with populations of 65, 000 people or more and their ranking in terms of poverty.   My city, Reading, Pennsylvania, was number one on the list.  As the Director of Head Start, this article clearly supported a trend I had suspected.  The stressors related to living in poverty are numerous for the entire family. The impact on the development of young children is significant.

                 Many studies have been conducted that look specifically at how poverty effects educational and cognitive outcomes of young children. Researchers have also studied how living in poverty effects social emotional development.  Often times, children living in poverty are being raised in a single parent, usually female head of household family whose education is limited. Their housing situation is often substandard in neighborhoods that have issues. All of these factors  have a negative impact on a child’s development.

                Research tells us children living in poverty often grow up in less cognitively stimulating environments. (Moore, K, Red., Burkhauser,M.,Mbwanna,K & Collins, A., 2009) Children in this situation who have not had experiences outside of their home such as Head Start,  often enter school with a deficit. Compound that with the fact that  typically  schools in  poor neighborhoods do not have the resources that schools in more affluent neighborhoods have.  Both factors have a negative effect on a child’s educational and cognitive development.

                The social and emotional development of young children is also affected by the stressors associated with poverty. Research tells us parental depression is twice as common among low-income parents which can impair their ability to provide positive parenting ( Connecticut Commission on Children, 2004).

                A child’s physical development is also effected by growing up in poverty. According to statistics provided by the National Center for Health Statistics, children in poverty are 3.6 times more likely to have health issues related to obesity, exposure to lead due to poor housing conditions and often have not had necessary health care or immunizations (Moore, K. et. al, 2009).
                The effects of poverty are truly far reaching. As a Head Start Director, I have seen the effects of poverty  first  hand .  Children come to us with many stressors even at the age of three and four. These stressors seem to manifest themselves in many ways.  Behavior is an area that presents challenges for many children living with these stressors. We are fortunate to have resources available to address many of these issues.  We partner with local mental health professionals to provide interventions for the child and the parent.  We also work directly with  our early intervention program to provide necessary supports within the classroom to help the child work toward more positive outcomes.  Unfortunately, there are many eligible children we are not able to reach since our funding is limited. The need  in our community far exceeds our resources as a Head Start program.

                Looking outside of our country, I decided to research stressors for young children in Mexico. My interest in Mexico was spurned by the fact that many of our families have emigrated from there.  I couldn’t help but wondered what brought them to our community given the current problems our community is facing.  As I read about poverty in Mexico, it became quite clear to me  that in comparison, life in Reading  is  better,   especially for children.  In Mexico, it is not unusual for children to be working at a young age to help add to the family income ( Ferguson, K., 2005). It is not uncommon for children to literally be living and working on the streets due to the extreme poverty in many areas, Their basic needs are often met in the streets. Child labor is defined as “work that impairs the health and development of children whereas child work constitutes all work that detracts from the essential activities of children , namely leisure, play and education” (Aitken, S., Estrada, S., Jennings, J., Aguirre, L., 2006, p. 368).  Both are detrimental to the normal development of children.  In Mexico, children as young as five are expected work in the poorest families.  Some work in agriculture while some panhandle on the streets.  Those services and opportunities for young children such as Head Start are do not  exist  in Mexico.   As I read the research, it was clear that for many families coming  to our community  gives the hope of a  better life for their children.

References:

Moore, K.A., Redd, Z., Burkhauser, M.,Mbwana, K., & Collins, A.,  (2009). Children in poverty; trends,     consequences, and policy options. Child Research Brief, Publication 2009-11, Retrieved                                          November 23, 2011 from http://www.childtrends.org/files/child_trends_2009_04-07-rb-                childreninpoverty.pdf

Children and the Long-Term Effects of Poverty, The Connecticut Commission on Children. June,2004.

                Retrieved November 22, 2011 from

                http://www.cga.ct.gov/cdc/pdfs/poverty/2004_poverty_report.pdf

Ferguson, K., (2005). Child labor and social capital in the mezzosystem: family- and community-based     risk and protective factors for street-working children in Mexico. Journal of Social Work      Research and Evaluation, Vol. 6, No.1, 101-121. Retrieved  November 23,2011 from         http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenlibrary.org

Aitken, S., Estrada, S., Jennings, J., & Aguirre, L., (2006). Reproducing life and labor: global processes and              working children in Tijuana, Mexico. Childhood, 13:365. Retrieved November 23, 2011 from          http://www.sagepublications.com.

Obesity Effects Even the Youngest

Child Development and Public Health- Obesity

                As I thought about public health issues that specifically affect young children, I decided to do some research on obesity.  We have noticed a higher percentage of children enrolling in Head Start that are clearly over weight and /or obese.  The information I found stated that  the incidence of obesity in young children is  on the rise.  In the United States, a recent study found that 31% of the children involved  in the study were overweight or obese. It was noted that several factors contributed to the rise. The research pointed out that children are more sedentary  often lacking in adequate outdoor playtime.(Kimbro,R., Brooks-Gunn, J. & McLananhan, S., 2011) Physical activity is important for the general well being of all of us but is especially important for young children.  The increase in the time children spend watching television has had a negative impact.  The Nestle Institute conducted  the Nestle Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study and concluded that 10% of  children ages 2 through 5  are categorized as obese.  Their  findings  went on to  state that poor eating habits begin developing as young a 12 months. More specifically, their diets consist of too many calories from solid fats and processed sugar and not enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains.(Nestle Nutrition Institute, 2011)  During these early years, it is a parent’s responsibility to introduce healthy eating patterns.  This becomes problematic if the parents themselves do not eat healthy.  The cycle perpetuates.  At about 12 months of age, about 1/3 of a child’s calories come from snacks  provided between meals.  When these snacks are not from healthy food groups such as fruits and vegetables,  the tendency for the child to be overweight or obese is greater. 

                Poor eating habits coupled with a lack of physical activity have made the public health issue of obesity  prevalent not only in the United State but also in the United Kingdom.   A study done  in 2008/2009 found one in ten young children to be obese  and noted that in addition to the health issues that can be attributed to obesity, the  psychosocial issues  become a major issue for young children. (Rees, R.,Oliver, K. Woodman,J. & Thomas, J.,2001)  Differences in body size begin to be notices even among children that young.

                It is important  that the parents and caregiversare properly educated to help children develop healthy eating habits. As early childhood educators,  we should  do whatever we can to help parents understand the importance of healthy eating and also providing opportunities for  their children to be  physically active.  The balance is what will break the cycle and help children maintain an appropriate body weight.

Rees, R.,Oliver, K., Woodman, J. & Thomas, J..(2011). The views of young children in the UK about obesity, body size, shape and weight: a systematic review. BioMed Central public Health, 11:188 Retrieved November 8, 2011  from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/188

Nestle Nutrition Institute Reveals New Findings From Landmark Nestle Feeding Infants and Toddlers study (FITS) at obesity 2011; New Data Shows Alarming Dietary Patterns Developing as Early as 12-24 months. PR Newswire. New York: October 3, 2011.

Kimbro Tolbert ,R., Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne,  &  McLanahan, Sara, . (2011). Young children in urban areas: Links among neighborhood characteristics, weight status, outdoor play, and television watching. Social Science and Medicine. 72, 668-676. Retrieved November 9, 2011 from journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/socscimed

Beginning a Family

November 1, 2011
Thinking about my own experience with child birth brought back very special memories for me. I was fortunate enough to have a son and a daughter, 33 and 29 years ago respectively. My experience was a bit untraditional given that it was the 1970's and most couples got married and had their first child shortly there after. My husband and I waited 7 years before starting a family. My Italian grandmother thought this was unusual and didn't think twice about asking me what I was waiting for ! My birth experience with my son was a learning experience as I'm sure it is for most women. We attended child birth classes to prepare for the event. We practiced our breathing and did what we thought were all the right things. I was all for "natural childbirth". As it turned out, things didn't go quite as planned. After 16 hours of active labor, I ended up having general anesthesia because our son was posterior and the Doctor needed to use forceps to deliver him. He weighed in at 8 lbs.7oz and was 21 inches log, a bit much for my 5'2" frame to handle. I must admit, I was disappointed in the outcome but was thankful he was fine. My husband was able to stay through the whole procedure. I remember briefly coming out of the anesthesia and him telling me we have a little boy. Our daughter's birth was natural which was a feat in itself since she weighed in at 9lbs,8 oz. I was determined to not have a repeat of my first experience. All in all, I feel very fortunate to have experienced 2 pregnancies that resulted in 2 healthy babies.
I found it interesting to read about birthing practices in the Netherlands in Parents magazine, online. As in most of Europe, it is more common for a women to give birth at home with the help of a midwife. Throughout the pregnancy, After the initial visit, a doctor is optional as well during the birth. The exception would be in the case of any high risk situations. Should a women chose to go to the hospital to deliver, her hospital stay will be brief. She is sent home with a kraamhulp, a maternity home care kit. The midwife visits the new mother for 7 days after she gives birth. Not only does she provide any necessary medical care, she also helps with household tasks and cooking. All of this is paid for by insurance. Mothers in many work situations are able to stay home with their child up to 3 years if they chose to.
I didn't realize home births were still pretty much the norm in the Netherlands and actually much of Europe. I think the after care plan for the mother and family is something we could learn from. Also, home birth certainly would be a health care savings.