Week 3 Harris: Happy Healthy Babies

Finding out you are pregnant, I assume, can be one of the greatest joys of your life. After the shock and realization that you are going to be a parent, a lot of other topics can come into your mind. There is no other quick way to bring excitement down than to think of all the possible issues your baby could have before it is even born. Mutations, which is a heredity abnormality that can happen at the chromosome or gene level, can affect the entire genetic process (pg. 57). These mutations happen by chance or by damage during the development. A risk factor the stood out to me the most was being over the age of 40 puts you at a higher chance of one of these mutations. I know when my mom was pregnant with my younger brother, she was 37 and had to take all of these tests to make sure the baby had no signs of any mutations. Luckily, he was born healthy and still is to this day. Another reason the age factor hits home is because another person I know got pregnant in her 40's and after taking the screening, her baby was at high risk for spina bifida. It was a very emotional and hard time for all of us, because we know how problematic that could be growing up. Again, luckily the baby was born healthy.

            Genetic mutation is not the only thing that can cause uneasiness when trying to get pregnant. Out of the 6.1 million reproductive people in the US, 10% have infertility (pg.63). That number is scary, but there are now many other outlets people can turn to. In vitro is something that two people I personally know used, and worked for them. Both women were in their 40's and it was very hard for them to get pregnant, but it worked out for them in the end. When you try for years to get pregnant, then get turned down for adoption because of age, it is very depressing thinking you will never be a parent. Being a part of that experience with them and being there when they finally get pregnant is something I will never forget. It is so amazing all of the science and technology there is today that helps with the process.

            Once the baby is born, they go through stages of development. Surprising to me, vision is the least developed at birth and takes a few months for the actual eye muscles to form (pg. 91). Smell is well developed and is most evident when presented with breast milk. Infants prefer the smell of their mother and can identify unpleasant odors. This can show why infants prefer to be with their mothers and cry until they are held by her. Next, taste is a strong sense developed at birth, and furthers the truth of infants wanting to be close to their mom. The infant remains close to the caregiver by liking their breast milk. Infants can hear and perceive direction of sound at birth as well. They can respond to tones, such as soft which can soothe them. They can associate that tone with comfort and care and associate with good and bad. Last, touch is gained through interaction with people and shows how important care giving infants can be. It is a way they gain information about the world. Being aware of these senses and how aware infants are of them can help when caring for your child and to be aware that they actually do have an idea of the world around them, so it is important to care of your child in a healthy environment from the start.

            Parents should always want the very best for their baby and should always look into research on what is the healthiest. There has been controversy on breast feeding and formula feeding for years. It has been shown that breastfeeding results in less allergies, stronger bones, increase cognitive development, easy food transition, and decrease risk of obesity (pg. 104). I think that breastfeeding should always be done because your body will produce what your child needs. The only reason that a baby needs to be given formula is if the mother isn’t capable of producing enough or if they have AIDS, infectious disease, or on medications that will affect the baby. There are formulas that have all the proper nutrients that breast milk provides, but I feel that all natural for the growth of an infant will be more beneficial.

            We read about Piaget before, and he says that the first few years of life are for extraordinary mental growth and influence the entire course of development. I agree with him completely after reading these chapters (pg. 112). “Everything centers on them, and they see the world from their own point of view.” Children have an initial relationship of the world where as adults know other viewpoints exist. There is nothing to influence the children and they are just living in the most innocent way possible. This stage of life is very important because it sets up the script of what kind of person they are going to be.

The development of children’s language is such an extraordinary process. It is basically made by age five. This is such an amazing process because they don’t have any formal training, but just learn words and meanings on their own. Children start with cooing, babbling, single words, then two word sentences (pg. 115). This shows how important it is to work with your child and to encourage them to talk and learn. Development of children has a huge impact on the caregivers, and how important touch and communication is to build a relationship with them. This relationship needs to be made from the very beginning so the child has healthy emotional development and has someone, such as the mother, to rely on for relief and satisfaction (pg.118).