Child Development and Public Health

I chose the topic of immunizations because it is something that I believe is important for children as well as adults when necessary.  The purpose of immunizations is to prevent mass outbreaks of diseases that become epidemics that are uncontrollable.   I researched the vaccination schedule for children who live in Germany and it is not much  different from that of the children in the United States.  The only exception that I found was that the vaccine for the human papilloma virus (HPV) is routinely given to females age twelve to age seventeen in Germany, where here in the U.S. it is still a point of controversy.  Many of the countries in Europe seem to be researching the claims that immunizations are the cause of some learning disabilities in children, especially males.  I feel that as time progresses, there will be many parents afraid of the possible side effects of the immunizations that they may or may not realistically be associated with so there will be a decline in vaccinations here in the United States.  My opinion on the matter is that research should be done to prove or disprove the allegations  before parents are allowed to NOT vaccinate their children because the price for NOT vaccinating may be greater.  I think that this will impact my future teaching and interaction with students if parents of children placed in a special needs setting feel that a vaccination is responsible for the condition of their child. 

Child Birth

     I personally do not have a child birth story of my own to share seeing that I cannot remember my own birth and that my children are adopted, so I have chosen to write about the birth of my nephew, Jackson.  Jackson was my second nephew to be born; the difference with him and my first nephew, Joey, was that my sister had gotten pregnant after I had a tubal that ruptured.  My entire family was petrified that my sister would have to endure the same pain and heartache that I had, but my sister was more afraid than we were.  My sister had good medical benefits so she was able to deliver the happy little guy in a safe hospital of her choice.  Shortly after he was born, the nurses came in and said that they had to take him back and my sister knew that something was not right.  After doing all that she could to ensure that she had a healthy baby, she was told that her child may have cerebral palsy.  Many tears were shed, only to find out in the end that he is only a carrier of the gene. 
   I wrote about this birth because it is one where the odds seemed to be stacked against Jackson and he has overcome all of the obstacles that the doctors said that he may face.  Jackson is now a happy, healthy little two year old who is so intelligent!  I believe that the nurturing environment that he is growing up in has allowed him to learn far more than any of the doctors thought possible.  He has reached all of the developmental milestones for a two year old.
     I chose to compare the birth of a child in the U.S. with the birth of a child in Nigeria.  In Nigeria, the women are often uneducated about the risks that come with having no doctor care in the first trimester.  About 40% of women receive post natal care two days after the baby is born, while many never do.  Also, women in Nigeria view a c-section as a failure to themselves and the child so it is avoided even if the mother goes to a hospital to deliver the child.  The placenta is buried after child birth as part of a ritual to provide health to the infant.  The country has a very high infant mortality rate due to the lack of care given to the pregnant women and to the newborn infant.
     My research into childbirth in Nigeria has shown me that education is the key.  If the parents of the children in Nigeria were to be educated, they would be able to better provide the services that the child needs.  Many places in this world still have birthing traditions and beliefs that are against Western medicine.  Babies born in the U.S. are afforded more opportunities on average than those born elsewhere.