Juanita McIntosh
Mrs. Landry
DEP 1004 – 478
26 September 2017
Writing Assignment #2 – Infancy Exploration Infancy is described as the time period in life from birth through two years of age. This time period is characterized by fast growth including the development of the infant brain. Other topics and challenges that arise during this stage include nutrition, breastfeeding, and various theories regarding attachment and cognitive development. Infancy may be just a brief moment in our lives but the implications can last a lifetime. At no other time in our lives will we have the number of neurons and synapses than we do as infants. At birth, a healthy baby has more than 100 billion neurons in a brain with a volume equal to approximately …show more content…
Malnutrition during the infant stage is characterized by slow physical growth as well as structural damage to the brain resulting in poor motor development and impaired learning. Although the effects of malnutrition can be reversed if corrected early, some children will still exhibit deficits in cognition as well as emotional and social well-being. These children do poorly in school and suffer from a number of mental illnesses including anxiety and depression. Despite the large percent of malnourished children in today’s world, there is a downward trend in the prevalence. As of 2016, 22.9% of all children under 5 worldwide were stunted or too short for their age as a direct result of chronic malnutrition (UNICEF). That number is compared to 39.5% of children who were classified as stunted in 1990 (UNICEF). The downward trend is largely due to the increasing global efforts of organizations such as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE). These organizations aim to reduce child malnutrition through food-for-education programs, poverty reduction, food donations, social change, government intervention, birth control education, as well as assisting countries in building their own sustainable food sources. Although, my children have never experienced malnutrition, they …show more content…
The purpose of breast-feeding is to provide an infant with the vital nutrients they require for growth and development. Women who choose to breast-feed, do so for any number of reasons. Some may live in poverty in a developing country where there is no access to formula. Others may choose to breast-feed simply for the proven benefits it provides for the infant including digestibility, appropriate amounts of fat, sugar, water, and protein, as well as immune properties that help an infant’s body fight off infections. Benefits for the mother include maternal weight loss, lower rates of cardiovascular disease, depression, and ovarian cancer after menopause. However, despite the number of scientifically proven benefits of breast-feeding, many women still choose not to participate in the practice. Some look down upon the practice as they view breast-feeding as an option only for low-income women who cannot afford formula. Other women may choose not to breast feed because of employment conflicts. Coupled with the fact that most women in our country must return to work within 3 months after birth in order to keep their jobs, many employment settings do not support breast-feeding for the working mother. These businesses may not have private rooms for women to pump their milk, nor may they provide new mothers with the extra break times needed for expressing milk. I was fortunate enough
Mrs. Landry
DEP 1004 – 478
26 September 2017
Writing Assignment #2 – Infancy Exploration Infancy is described as the time period in life from birth through two years of age. This time period is characterized by fast growth including the development of the infant brain. Other topics and challenges that arise during this stage include nutrition, breastfeeding, and various theories regarding attachment and cognitive development. Infancy may be just a brief moment in our lives but the implications can last a lifetime. At no other time in our lives will we have the number of neurons and synapses than we do as infants. At birth, a healthy baby has more than 100 billion neurons in a brain with a volume equal to approximately …show more content…
Malnutrition during the infant stage is characterized by slow physical growth as well as structural damage to the brain resulting in poor motor development and impaired learning. Although the effects of malnutrition can be reversed if corrected early, some children will still exhibit deficits in cognition as well as emotional and social well-being. These children do poorly in school and suffer from a number of mental illnesses including anxiety and depression. Despite the large percent of malnourished children in today’s world, there is a downward trend in the prevalence. As of 2016, 22.9% of all children under 5 worldwide were stunted or too short for their age as a direct result of chronic malnutrition (UNICEF). That number is compared to 39.5% of children who were classified as stunted in 1990 (UNICEF). The downward trend is largely due to the increasing global efforts of organizations such as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE). These organizations aim to reduce child malnutrition through food-for-education programs, poverty reduction, food donations, social change, government intervention, birth control education, as well as assisting countries in building their own sustainable food sources. Although, my children have never experienced malnutrition, they …show more content…
The purpose of breast-feeding is to provide an infant with the vital nutrients they require for growth and development. Women who choose to breast-feed, do so for any number of reasons. Some may live in poverty in a developing country where there is no access to formula. Others may choose to breast-feed simply for the proven benefits it provides for the infant including digestibility, appropriate amounts of fat, sugar, water, and protein, as well as immune properties that help an infant’s body fight off infections. Benefits for the mother include maternal weight loss, lower rates of cardiovascular disease, depression, and ovarian cancer after menopause. However, despite the number of scientifically proven benefits of breast-feeding, many women still choose not to participate in the practice. Some look down upon the practice as they view breast-feeding as an option only for low-income women who cannot afford formula. Other women may choose not to breast feed because of employment conflicts. Coupled with the fact that most women in our country must return to work within 3 months after birth in order to keep their jobs, many employment settings do not support breast-feeding for the working mother. These businesses may not have private rooms for women to pump their milk, nor may they provide new mothers with the extra break times needed for expressing milk. I was fortunate enough