The importance of Immunization

I choose to discuss the importance of immunizations because when it comes to children’s health and well-being some parents do not understand. I am a director in a Head Start program and one of the health regulations in our county is children be up-to-date on the immunizations to attend childcare programs.  We have children coming to enroll with only the immunizations given in the hospital at birth. Parents get upset when tell children need to go to health care provider to get much need immunizations.

All children should be immunized at regular health care visits, beginning at birth immunizations are very important in keeping our children healthy. The recommended childhood and adolescent schedule urges shots starting at birth and going through 24 months of age, with boosters and catch-up vaccines continuing through the teenage years and into old age. By immunizing, we safeguard our children against the potentially devastating effects of vaccine preventable diseases. No child should ever have to endure the effects of vaccine preventable diseases, simply because he or she was not vaccinated on time. Catastrophic effects of childhood diseases can lead to life-long illness or even death.

The United States has experienced outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases in the past several years - diseases that imperil our children's health and future. The primary cause for the 1989 - 1991 outbreaks of measles and resurgence of other vaccine preventable diseases has not been the failure of the vaccines to protect, but rather the failure of the health care system to deliver the vaccines to the children at the recommended ages.

 http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/immunizations/14141/immunizations_home_(2)/557976

In countries like Africa there are more than 30 million children are unimmunized either because vaccines are unavailable, because health services are poorly provided or inaccessible, or because families are uninformed or misinformed about when and why to bring their children for immunization. I was happy to learn that organizations such as UNICEF is working to expanding immunization coverage too hard to reach communities to help reduce infant mortalities due to not receiving proper vaccinations and to improve maternal health for their parents.

No matter what country a child is from they have a right to be protected against preventable diseases. Parents must not wait until their children enter school to immunize them. Immunization is the most cost-effective preventive health measure available to children.

http://www.unicef.org/immunization/index_why.html

Childbirth in My Life and Around the World

Childbirth in My Life and Around the World

 The child birth experience I remember is when my oldest daughter was born. I carried her for 36 weeks without any complications. When I went to my next doctor’s appointment I was told my blood pressure was high and to relax in the waiting room for a few minutes to see if it would go down. Unfortunately it did not so I had to call my husband to come pick me up and take me to the hospital to be admitted.  I was told I had toxemia which a harmful for of hypertension and would be very determinate for my unborn child. I remained in the hospital until she was born and had to have a cesarean delivery because having her naturally would not be healthy for either of us.  I wanted to have the experience of having my daughter like my sisters and sister-in-laws but it did not happen. Cesarean births are not common in United States, but are done if there is a danger for the baby or the mother.

In researching child birth in other countries cesarean birth is a “norm” in Brazil.  To have a baby in Brazil requires patience, persistence and preparation. In private hospitals the Caesarean rates range from 70 to 90%. The so-called "normal birth", when it happens is packed with medical procedures, with routine use of epidural, Pitocin and episiotomy. (Duarte, 2004)

It is almost impossible to experience a water birth, especially in hospitals. Many doctors prefer Caesareans as they are faster and more practical, generally opting to schedule them ahead of time, to prevent being called on at an inconvenient time.

This was very surprising to me because we are taught the natural childbirth is having the child vaginally if there were not complications.

 http://www.gringoes.com/articles.asp?ID_Noticia=365