How Violence Effects Our Children

I know several children  who have witnessed violence, either at home or elsewhere. Children may be exposed to violence at home, in the community, and in the media. This children I’ve known who were exposed to violence  had significant effects on their development and  forming their own intimate relationships throughout childhood and adulthood. Risk factors are cumulative; the risks for negative outcomes multiply, placing some children in "double jeopardy" (eg, the child exposed to domestic and community violence). Children who are victims of direct assault or who witness repeated episodes of violence are more likely to have significant negative outcomes compared with children who are exposed to a single instance of violence.

In Islam  children are greatly impacted by witnessing abuse between their parents, or by growing up in a home where the victim may be experiencing depression as a result of the abuse. The damage to children is long-term and can affect their personality, their ability to study, and their future relationships. It is more important for children to live with a healthy parent who can be a good role model than to grow up in a climate of fear and anxiety when one or both parents are abusive.

As an advocate for children it is important that , I promote resilence  in children. Resilience is a basic human capacity in all children. Parents and other care givers promote resilience in children through their words, actions, and the environment they provide. Adults who promote resilience make family and institutional supports available to children. They encourage children to become increasingly autonomous, independent, responsible, empathic, and altruistic and to approach people and situations with hope, faith, and trust. They teach them how to communicate with others, solve problems, and successfully handle negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Children themselves increasingly become active in promoting their own resilience.

Breastfeeding Importannce

1.      Breast milk is easier to digest – For most babies — especially premature babies — breast milk is easier to digest than formula. The proteins in formula are made from cow’s milk and it takes time for babies’ stomachs to adjust to digesting them.

2.      Breast milk fights disease – The cells, hormones, and antibodies in breast milk protect babies from illness. This protection is unique; formula cannot match the chemical makeup of human breast milk. In fact, among formula-fed babies, ear infections and diarrhea are more common.

3.     Breastfeeding benefits society

The nation benefits overall when mothers breastfeed. Recent research shows that if 90 percent of families breastfed exclusively for 6 months, nearly 1,000 deaths among infants could be prevented. The United States would also save $13 billion per year — medical care costs are lower for fully breastfed infants than never-breastfed infants. Breastfed infants typically need fewer sick care visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations.

Breastfeeding also contributes to a more productive workforce since mothers miss less work to care for sick infants. Employer medical costs are also lower.

Breastfeeding is also better for the environment. There is less trash and plastic waste compared to that produced by formula cans and bottle supplies.

Breastfeeding in other countries

Traditionally, Japanese women gave birth at home and breastfed with the help of breast massage. Weaning was often late, with breastfeeding in rare cases continuing until early adolescence. After World War II Western medicine was taken to Japan and the women began giving birth in hospitals, where the baby was usually taken to the nursery and fed formula. In 1974 a new breastfeeding promotional campaign by the government helped to boost the awareness of its benefits and its prevalence has sharply increased. Japan became the first developed country to have a baby-friendly hospital.

Childbirth In My Life and Around the World

A month before my aunts due date, I went to the hospital and visited her, she had just given birth to my baby cousin.  Once I was at the hospital I  realized how exhausted and overwhelmed she looked.

She was able to tell me her unique birthing experience. She explained that once her contractions subsided, she went to bed. A couple of hours later, she awakened by a huge gush of water between her  legs. Immediately my uncle called a car service to take them to the hospital.

Once they arrived at the hospital , my aunt went to the Labor and Delivery floor on her own two feet. There, she was examined by a nurse who was just as surprised discover that she was nine centimeters dilated!!!! She even suggested that my aunt continue labor without an epidural since she had already made it so far.

My aunt grabbed her wrist hard and demanded drugs.

The relief was instant. She was so happy to be without pain.I spent the time talking to my uncle and my parents and chatting on the telephone with friends. Half an hour later, my aunt gave birth to a beautiful girl named Abigail, who weighed in at a whopping nine pounds, two ounces!

 I'll never forget the day when I walked into the room and she was holding my little love bug Abigail. The experience was one of the most life changing and rewarding experiences of my lifeJ

Unlike the United States ,the majority of Japanese women strive to give birth without the use of painkillers. This relates to the Buddhist perception of suffering: There is a belief among Japanese that labor pains act as a kind of test that a woman must endure in preparation for the challenging role of motherhood.

 Another interesting facts, is that fathers are permitted to be present at the birth only if they have taken prenatal classes with the mother-to-be; if a c-section is performed, they must go to the waiting room. In general, hospital stays in Japan tend to be longer than in the U.S.; mothers can expect a minimum of a five-day stay for a vaginal birth and 10 days or more for a cesarean delivery.

After leaving the hospital, mother and baby often stay at the mother's parents' home for a month or sometimes longer -- it is a cultural tradition that women stay in bed with their baby for 21 days.