Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development...Haiti
The country I decided to focus on with regard to their consequences of stress on children's development is Haiti. In the Journal of Pan African Studies it talks about the poverty issues and the effect it has on children's development.
"According to the Pan American Health Organization's Haiti Profile, inflation was estimated at 15 percent and food prices increased to 10.4 percent from 1999 to 2000. Moreover, Haiti's per capita income is less than $400 (in U.S. dollars) per year, the average life expectancy is 57, and half of the children under the age of five are malnourished (World Bank 8). Hence, Haitian mothers and children are more likely to experience chronic poverty" (Edmond, Randolph & Richard, 2007).
"A number of researchers have shown that living in chronic poverty has a harmful effect on maternal behavior. Specifically, poor parents experience more chronic stress over family economic pressures, such as difficulty paying bills, substandard housing, and poor-quality medical care, as well as the stress associated with the daily tasks of childrearing (Hashima and Amato 394; World Health Organization 10). Because parenting can influence children's social, emotional, and cognitive adjustment, efforts have been made to determine the variables that affect parenting behavior, and one such variable is parenting stress." (Edmond, Randolph & Richard, 2007).
In other words...because of the parental stressors in and around Haiti, children's social, emotional, and cognitive development is being compromised on a large scale. This is very unfortunate and breaks my heart to think that any child is not afforded the best care imaginable.
Edmond, Y. M., Randolph, S. M., & Richard, G. L. (2007). The lakou system: a cultural, ecological analysis of mothering in rural haiti. Journal of Pan African Studies, 2(1), Retrieved from http://www.biomedsearch.com/article/lakou-system-cultural-ecological-analysis/192394089.html
This was very interesting, and sad, to read. It makes me think of the commercials that are on T.V. urging you to sponsor a child in a different country to help them get food, clean water, and an education. In addition to helping the children, would helping the mothers and families help the children just as much, or more? By helping families, one would be meeting the needs of food, shelter, AND care in the emotional and social sense. If we go beyond providing the basic needs of a child, by nurturing and educating, we can impact future generations as well.