Hunger

I chose the topic of hunger, probably because I cringe to think how many children (and adults) go to bed hungry.  I understand totally that the number far surpasses my imagination.  Several years ago, hunger took a twist by impacting one of the children in our preschool.  Some families made sacrifices for their children to attend our school.  Michael was from one such family.  He was raised by a single mom, who questioned me about a scholarship for Michael.  For some unknown reason, I made a special agreement with Michael’s mom.  She did some paper work for us, and in return, his monthly tuition was lessoned. 

Michael wore the same clothes several days in a row; they were always clean.  His shoes seemed a bit tight, but he did not seem to mind.  For lunch, he always brought a bagel and cream cheese.  We gave Michael water to drink; we offered apple juice.  He never had dessert.  One day, I approached mom about the lunch thing, asking why she sent the same thing every day.  Michael’s mom said that’s what Michael wanted; I accepted this. 

One day, however, Michael told me that he did not want bagels anymore.  Again, I questioned Michael’s mom, but this time, she asked if we could talk about this in my office (behind closed doors).  As you may have guessed by now, Michael’s mom could not afford other food.  A local restaurant gave her day-old bagels and cream cheese for free.  She became hysterical.  When I heard that Michael went to bed hungry sometime, I became hysterical.

To make a long story short, the reality of the world was a part of my class.  Hunger is everywhere.  We worked with some amazing partnerships to help Michael’s mom get food stamps, and with some help, she was able to secure a part time secretarial job.  She was finished early enough to pick Michael up from school.   This is several years ago, and I heard, through the grapevine, that Michael’s mom went back to school and is a nurse. WOW!

I chose to look into the effects of hunger in Brazil.  Somewhere, I read about a program that assured food to everyone.  In 1993, food was declared a right of citizenship.  In 2003, the administration of Silva implemented the Zero Hunger program.  Silva wanted this right to be a part of the constitution.  It was “added to the list of social rights guaranteed under Article 6, together with education, healthy, work, and social security; this made it irreversible” (Osava, 2009). 

Local farmers are offered choice public spaces to sell to the consumer; local produce was also incorporated into school meals.  The city of Belo Horizonte (Brazil’s fourth largest city) put Direct from the Country stands throughout busy areas.  “Money spent on processed, corporate food, now buys whole food mostly from local growers” (Lappe, 2009).  This enabled many families the chance to expand their incomes or return to agricultural production.  The program works with an electronic card.  Beneficiaries prove that the money they are receiving is being spent on basic food items or cooking fuel.  In addition, families need to prove that their children are attending school.  Adults enroll in training programs to improve their employability and thus, reduce their future dependence. 

Three rather large “People’s Restaurants,” plus a few smaller venues has sprouted up in Belo.  Together, they serve about 12,000 or more people using primarily locally grown food.  Several novel solutions have arisen such as “egg shells, manioc leaves, and other material normally thrown away were ground and minced into flour for school kid’s daily bread” (Lappe, 2009).  For all of these efforts, the cost is a mere 10 million dollars annually, which is about a penny a day per Belo resident and less than 2% of the city’s budget.

This experience demonstrates that the right to food does not necessarily mean free handouts.  It means “redefining the “free” in “free market” as the freedom of all to participate.”  Lappe (2009) states, “it’s easy to end hunger if we are willing to see with new eyes – if we act no longer as mere voters or protestors, for or against government, but as problem-solving partners with government accountable to us.”  This is interesting indeed and has given me a lot to think about… I wonder if our government has given this idea any thought… hmmm

Lappe, F.M. (2009). The city that ended hunger. Yes Magazine.  Retrieved from http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/food-for-everyone/the-city-that-ended-hunger

Osava, Mario. (2009, October 16). Hunger beats a steady retreat.  IPS Inter Press Service.  Retrieved from http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44306

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

In my teachings, I always find my student’s interest in SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) to be overwhelming, and the stories shared often cause tears. I tend to discuss this topic at the end of a class session, because I think the impact of our discussion would hover over us during the rest of our class. In spite of this, I often find myself involved in discussions about SIDS long after class is over. I find this topic to be scary for parents and newborns.

When my son was infant sleeping in his crib, I would go in and out of his room continually to make certain that he was sleeping on his back and breathing. I admit that, as a first time mom, I was paranoid of SIDS.  At least, I was knowledgeable enough to know what to do and what not to do. Through my parent workshops, I have come to the realization that some parents are not aware of SIDS, some are misinformed, and others can describe it but are convinced it will never happen to their baby.

After choosing the topic, I thought it would be interesting to see if hospitals teach new parents about SIDS. I called 3 hospitals and spoke with maternity nurses. Two of the three nurses were eager to share information, and the third was too busy to answer my questions. When I asked to speak with someone else, she responded, "Ma-am, SIDS does not affect mothers in our hospital. We take care of our babies.” I don’t even feel the need to comment on this remark! The two “cooperative” nurses informed me that a SIDS' pamphlet was given to each new mom. The pamphlet, according to the nurses, is “self-explanatory and doesn’t require additional information.” I wonder how many moms read this information… how many pamphlets are thrown out… and how many are placed somewhere to be read when (or if) mom has time. Just like new moms are taught how to breast feed their infant, I think they need to hear the hard core fact about SIDS.

SIDS is the “sudden, unexplained death of an infant younger than one year old.” Most SIDS related deaths happen when babies are between 2 months and 4 months old. In some nations, parent worried that back-sleeping would cause an infant to choke, but as parents heeded the doctor’s advice to place infants to sleep on their backs, SIDS rates began to decrease. According to Berger, “protective factors, in addition to back sleeping, include breast-feeding and pacifier use, which may help by strengthening infants’ breathing reflexes.” In addition, it is advised to place baby on a firm, safety-approved mattress and keeping toys and soft objects out of the baby’s sleep areas will aid in the threat of SIDS.

While researching this topic, I discovered that In Australia (where my sister lived for almost 6 years, and no, I never went there!) there is evidence that sharing a sleep surface with a baby increases the risk of SIDS. According to studies, babies under 4 months old and preterm babies are in jeopardy. “Most SIDS deaths in Australia “are predominately amongst babies whose parents smoke” (Shared sleeping, 2011). In addition, there is a “very high risk of infant death and sleeping accidents when a baby shares a sofa or couch with an adult during sleep” (Shared sleeping, 2011).

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood. New York: Worth Publishers.

Shared sleeping surfaces linked to a high percentage of sudden and expected infant deaths. (2010, June). Retrived at http://Sidsandkids.org/

Childbirth, in my life & around the world



Adam, who is now 24



The only personal birthing experience that I have been a part of (except my birth, which, obviously, I do not remember).  My husband froze, and I probably was screaming a lot (although I don’t remember that either).  Before we left, we called my mom to assist with delivery.  She arrived at the hospital before us, although she hid in the bathroom whenever I screamed (which was most of the time).  From the statistics that I’ve heard, I gave birth rather quickly, especially for a first baby.  My labor lasted less than three hours.

I thought quite a bit about my birthing experience and its impact on my newborn.   I did NOT want an epidural.  I believed that having one might have a detrimental effect on either/or mom and baby.  I was careful not to take medications (even Tylenol) during the pregnancy, so I was not about to start right before birth.  Besides, selfishly, I did not want to be out of commission once our baby was born.  Call me crazy, but I had my husband and my doctor promise not to give me an epidural unless it was a health issue.  I delivered my son in a birthing room without medication. 

You need to keep in mind that I am the biggest baby in the world.  I look at blood, and I get sick.  OK… I think of blood and get sick.  I cannot stand pain, and by pain, I mean a simple cut on my finger.  My mom and husband were worried about how I would make it through the birth (no, they never mentioned this fear to me).  But, I was a trooper… why?  The health of my unborn child was important.   I had a responsibility to this little person.  I was determined to give this child a good start developmentally. 

Let me add this… through an ultra sound, I was assured that my little one would be a girl.  I had everything pink picked out, including a girl’s name.  There was no doubt that I was carrying a girl.  The doctor assured me of this.  So, when my little one was a boy, I was in shock.  That’s when I lost it!!!!  Do I think my initial reaction affected his immediate development… nope!  Why… because once I held him, I didn’t care if he was a boy or a girl, I was just thankful that he was healthy and the birth went smoothly.  The pain went out the window, and even now, I only think of the birthing experience as positive. 

I chose to read about birthing experiences in China.  Recently, there has been a lot written about the limitation of one child per family in China.  I wanted to learn more about how these women were giving birth.  In the past, may Chinese births took place in the home; in addition, the rate of newborn deaths was quite high.  Currently, China is promoting hospital delivery.  Almost all births, except in the poorest regions, take place in hospitals.  This is a way for the Chinese to keep records on the number of children born in each family.  It has, also, limited newborn deaths tremendously.

Although the rate of newborn death has gone down tremendously, it might not be totally the credit of hospital birth.  “Women who gave birth in urban hospitals might come from privileged socio-economic backgrounds and have better nutrition during pregnancy” (Hospital Births Move, 2011). This is an important factor in neonatal mortality.  There is definitely more to the lowering of China’s infant death rate than location.  “Findings showed that babies born in hospitals in the poorer rural areas were almost four times more likely to die than babies born in hospitals in urban areas” (Hospital Births Move, 2011).  Hospitals need to have neonatal care available in the crucial first few days after delivery.  Having this care available provides a safer environment than in the home.  In addition, some feel that the rise in hospital births may “have encouraged unnecessary medical interventions, such as cesarean sections, which account for 65 percent of births in China.”

Personally, I never questioned where our son would be born.  I wanted medical equipment (and yes, medications) available if needed.  But, as mentioned above, I was able to have quality care throughout my pregnancy.  I think the hospital birth was just the end result.  In China’s case, there is, also, more to safe births than the location.

Hospital births move has halved newborn deaths in China. (2011, September 15). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14930747?print=true

Oleson, Alexa. Hospital births saving babies in China, study says. (2011, September 16).  Associated Press. Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/hospital-births-saving-babies-china-study-says-032630607.html