WAR AS A STRESSOR IN CHILDREN

It is common for adult to see children as living a stress free life because they are always happy and care free, after all children do not have bills to pay, they do not have jobs to keep, and they do not face challenges that make for stress in adults. Nothing could be further from the truth. If stress is a result what happened around us or situation we go through, then there are situations, circumstances that do make children to be stressful. While stress is the feeling we have when we are under pressure, stressors are the things around us that we are responding or reacting to, in other words stressors are events or situations that cause stress. War is one major stressor that children all over the world may experience.
Children from countries that have recently been is war are prone to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD), a life incapacitating mental health disorder. In a research headed by Dr. Claudia Catani of the University Of Bielefeld, the researchers discovered that at least half of the children who experienced the Afghanistan war were diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. Images of war as seen on the television can be disturbing and worrisome to children, who are even living in places where there is no on-going war, they may be concerned about their own safety and security of loved ones.
I did not experience war when growing up as a child, (even as an adult), neither do I have any one close to me who experienced war as a child but I have read stories about what some children went through in some countries as a result of war- stories that has made me cried. One country that has been in war for many years now is Sudan, many stories abound of what children are going through in that country and how the war has affected the development of many children negatively. One of such stories (Courtesy of UNICEF) is produced below.

RECOVERING FROM THE TRAUMA
Like many others in the region, Peter lost his childhood to war. Kidnapped at the age of 10 by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) – a Ugandan militia whose ranks include numerous abducted children – Peter was forced to march from his native Uganda into Sudan, where the LRA is also active.
But a gunshot wound to the leg became a ticket to freedom for Peter, who had endured 40 months of forced servitude in the brutal militia, roaming between northern Uganda and Southern Sudan. After Peter suffered the serious injury and his unit began a retreat from hostile forces, his commander took the boy’s gun and abandoned him so he would not slow down the group.
The injury probably saved Peter’s life. Rescued by military officers on patrol nearby, he was taken for medical treatment and then to a UNICEF-supported safe house for psycho-social care.
“You can only guess what he feels,” said Mr. Koss after meeting Peter. “It is a horrendous trauma.”
Social indicators still lag

Peter’s experience is part of a larger pattern of instability throughout the region. A peace agreement, signed in January 2005, ended the civil war in Southern Sudan and opened up enormous potential for progress. Yet outbreaks of armed conflict involving secondary or foreign groups like the LRA continue to plague the area, making it difficult for children to return to school and regain a measure of normalcy.
Meanwhile, social indicators here remain among the lowest in the world. Only about one in five children is enrolled in primary school, while three-quarters of the estimated 9 million people in Southern Sudan cannot read or write. Safe drinking water is scarce and electricity is almost non-existent.

Peace is gradually returning to Southern Sudan, a referendum took place from January 9 to 15 this year on whether the region should be independent or not, with over 90% votes in support, July 9 2011 has been fixed for independent of the region. It is hoped that with this development the plight of children in that region would be minimized.


Source: Rachel Berk. (2006). Goodwill Ambassador Johann Koss Sees Effects of War in Southern Sudan. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/sudan_33801.html

EFFECTS OF MALNUTRITRION ON CHILDREN'S.

Nutrition is one of the most important factors determining growth and development in children. What a child eats affect his/her physical growth as well as cognition development. Nutrition which is also called nourishment is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary (in the form of food) to support life. Nutrition is the basic source of energy that fuels the body for everyday activities. Malnutrition occurs when the body is not properly nourished either through insufficient nourishment known as undernourishment or when there is excessive intake of food in the body known as over-nourishment. Most often when people talk about malnutrition the focus has always been on the undernourishment which is more common and highly devastating. Undernourishment occurs primarily when women and children are in poverty, lack food, live in poor hygienic condition, lack care, and have inappropriate feeding system. More than 30 percent of children's death around the world has been attributed to malnutrition: specifically malnutrition resulting from undernourishment.

Studies have shown that good nutrition and good health are closely related throughout the life span but the effects of malnutrition is more striking, highly devastating and enduring during infancy.
Whether or not children are well-nourished during their first years of life will have a profound effect on their health status and also their ability to think analytically, process information, communicate well, socialize effectively and function well in the society. In young children (age 0-8), malnutrition results in delayed physical growth and motor skills; affects cognitive development resulting in low IQ; behavioral problems and deficient skills in school; low attention span. Learning impairment and low academic achievement.

This is why as an early childhood educator, the issue of malnutrition, especially as it relates to children is of great importance to me. Malnutrition negatively affects a child's performance in school, a child that is not properly fed cannot listen to a teacher. An hungry child is an unteachable child. Survival precedes learning. Again undernourishment is inimical to good health. Good nutrition is the first line of defense against numerous diseases in early childhood, malnutrition breaks and destroys this all important wall of defense. As Ann Veneman, UNICEF's executive director said,“undernourishment steals a child's strength and makes illness that the body might otherwise fight off far more dangerous.”

The issue of malnutrition in Central African Republic is alarming and calls for urgent global attention. In a report by UNICEF, about 1 million children under five years are living below acceptable nutritional standards. Preliminary assessment conducted in three provinces of Mambere Kadei, Sangha Mbaere and Lobaye revealed that 16 per cent of children under five are acutely malnourished, far above the emergency thresholds of 2 oer cent for severe acute malnutrition and 15 per cent for global acute malnutrition.

For the sake of the future of these children and many more in other regions and countries of the world, global actions and commitments on food security and nutrition is necessary. Malnutrition accounts for one third of nutrition-related causes of death in children. Malnutrition can also prevent children from reaching their full mental and physical potential. Unless urgent attention is paid to addressing the causes of children undernutrition today, the society risks payinga higher cost tomorrow. The best strategy to address the prevalence of malnutrition amongst children remains the one that addresses the many causes of undernutrition.

SOURCES

Facts For Life. http://www.factsforlifeglobal.org/05/

Sagon, C., Daruyan., A. 1994. Literacy- “The Path to A More Prosperous, Less dangerous America”. Parade Magazine, March 6. 1994

UNICEF : Malnutrition Among Children in Southern Central African Republic. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/media_50744.htm

CHILDBIRTH EXPERIENCE

CHILDBIRTH EXPERIENCEThe birth experience I would want to talk about is that of my third child. I choose this particular experience because of two reasons : My conscious preparation for the birth by having child education and the fact that her birth was quite different from the two previous ones, while they were through c section, hers was natural. When I became pregnant again after two previous births that were through C section, my husband and I were terrified, not with the believe in my country then that after two C sections a woman should not be pregnant again otherwise it could be fatal. We were fortunate to meet a doctor who assured us there is no need to worry provided we do not take things for granted and we do all necessary things especially attending all prenatal appointments, take childbirth education, and optimize health measures for both mother and child. We took to her advice and did everything we were asked to do. Every pregnant woman is always expecting, especially when it gets to the last trimester, I think that is why pregnant women are called expectant mothers in my country. Though my EDD was given as 24th of December, I had already packed my hospital bag weeks before but the day came and went with no sign of the baby coming. I went to the hospital the following day just to be sure and the doctor said there is no problem and that the baby was still high and  my cervix wasn't ready in letting a baby out soon. I was not only disappointed and frustrated, I became apprehensive. The following day I told my husband that I would like to go to work so as to get myself engaged and stop brooding over the non-arrival of the baby, he agreed with me. After taking a shower, I started noticing some signs: my stomach will harden for about fews second with occasional pain. I told my husband this, and he said we should just leave for the hospital immediately in view of our previous experiences and not to take chances. The doctor did not suspect labour when she saw us, she thought it must be somethings else, but she did an IE, she discovered I was 7 cm dilated! I was quickly taken to the delivery room and they started preparing me for the “show”. My husband was not allowed to enter with me, though the pain was getting unbearable, I managed to let him know that, I am determined to birth naturally, if only to experience what it takes to give birth as a woman- the natural way. I was dilating one cm every 30 minutes or so, the last hour of contractions was so painful but I remained strong and refused to scream and say a word, which made the doctor to name me “Iron Lady” I pushed when I was asked to push and within few minutes, it should be about 10 to 15 minutes my little angel came out. She was  cleaned and handed to me. That was a moment in my life that remain indelible. When I look at the growth of my three daughters, I have not been able to see any significant difference in any of them that can be attributed to the circumstance of their birth, however, I realized, I am more attached to my third daughter than her sisters. I am afraidthough that at times I feel the sisters were taken out of me, while I birthed her and kind of produced her. I think it is psychological and cultural. Has anyone experienced such? Or you have something to say about this kind of feeling? I would welcome and appreciate your view.   
                              
CHILDBIRTH IN NIGERIA 

I found out the last time I visited Nigeria that traditional methods of delivery is still common. As a  woman who has witnessed what many women passed through when giving birth through the traditional ways ( some did not survive it), I have my reservations about this system. Some people might say some of these practices are beneficial, it remains an undisputable fact that many cases of child birth deaths and complications are traceable to these practices. According to UNICEF, West Africa  has the world highest fertility rate, Nigeria's population arguably is about half of the population of the region. Half of Nigeria's maternal mortality deaths are due to post partum haemorrhaging  which these unskilled traditional health workers lack the knowledge or equipment to stop.  Unfortunately with inadequate health facilities, insufficient trained personnel, and poverty this practice will continue for a long time. At present about 60% of women of child bearing age depend on traditional birth attendants, quack doctors, traditional healers, religious healers, and herbalists as aresult of any of these reasons. I hope governments around the world, corporations, and individuals will show more concern to the plights of these women