health

For children to attain proper growth and development they need some minimum level of resources. Money and what it can provide is paramount to children’s well being. The availability of basic needs such as food, education, health care, shelter and other necessities contribute to the child’s well being. For children trapped in poverty conditions, their parents or guardians accessing extra income to their source of livelihood would lead to a better life for them and the society at larges.

Poverty not only destroys childhoods but also life chances and the stability of an entire society. Poverty has far reaching effects on people but it is worse for children. Poor children suffer so much hardship and grow up deprived of the very essentials needed for healthy living. It is not difficult to establish that children brought up in adverse poverty do not only lack material goods compared to other children but also experience very poor health conditions and sadly some even succumb to them. (Gillam, 2012) The circumstances of the growing up of these children inform what they will eventually amount to as adults.

In all stages of education, children from poorer backgrounds are found to be lagging behind their peers from well up families. The challenges surrounding their livelihoods affect their performance in school that leads to them being retained in grade and dropping out. Most of them grow up in concentrated poverty neighborhoods that are characterized by high crime rates, poor schools, drugs and substance abuse amidst other social pathologies. Such an environment exposes the children to violent crimes and informs their attitudes and perceptions in life. And esteeming education is not depicted as a necessity.

Poverty has been associated with a higher risk of illness and premature deaths of children. (Poverty and health, 2003)Their weight at birth is recorded to be on average 200 grams less than those born in rich areas. At infancy, there are higher chances that children from poor backgrounds suffer from chronic illnesses, disability or dying due to lack of proper health care. Children growing up in poverty are exposed to poor housing which affects their health stability both socially, physically and mentally. Social lives of these children are affected negatively since they do not afford things such as school trips, holidays and cannot invite their friends over to have coffee as they chat and catch up.

The early childhood development stage is very crucial for the brain development. (Bourdillon, 2014)At this period the child’s brain is very sensitive to environmental experiences. It therefore makes the child vulnerable to the conditions they are exposed to. It has been shown that exposure to a favorable environment makes it possible for neurodevelopment. It is this development in children that allows for later realization of their potentials as humans. When young children experience neglect in these formative stages, they suffer from trauma and as a result the development could close off affecting essential potentials later on in their lives. (Maholmes, 2012)Consistent effects of early traumatic experiences affect the brain development of both young children and infants. The poor health and living conditions effects over time affects the individual’s attitudes and expectancy in life.

Teens and adults that suffered childhood trauma as they grew up are more vulnerable to premarital sex, alcoholism and more suicidal attempts. There exists a linear relationship between the number of adverse childhood experiences and the resulting adults’ behavioral risks. (Mash, 2016)Some children could grow up to be productive and responsible while their peers in poor backgrounds turn out to be rebellious criminals and unproductive adults. The explanation is attributed to the parenting received in their early stages of growth. As children grow up they constantly need attention and affection. It is especially the case in the tender ages where their brains need consistent and repetitive stimulation to develop. Children need a sober and deliberate adult to help them in both learning the human to human interactions and their brain development potential. But this is hardly the case for the families in dire poverty. The quality and quantity offered to the children is not enough to establish functional stable growth and development.

Adults who have gone through adverse childhood experiences (ACE) exhibit these effects on their emotional, mental and physical health and in their behavioral attributes. (Meinlscmidt, 2005)A lot of health issues and social problems have been associated with emotional and physical neglect, sexual abuse and exposure to domestic violence and substance abuse. Childhood stress exerts negative pressure on the human development affecting the well being of the individual even long after they have grown into adults.

Health-wise, prevalent disease such as cancer and heart disease are related to the adverse childhood experiences. Risk factors in relation to health such as alcohol abuse and smoking are linked to the surroundings of one’s upbringing. Mental issues such as depressive disorders and hallucinations are highly found in teenagers and young adults that were neglected as they grew up and were exposed to adverse conditions at early stages. Most of these individuals if not all, are members of some challenged families locked up in adverse poverty.

When children who have had adverse childhood experiences grow up to be parents, they stand a risk of having reduced parenting capacity. (Meinlscmidt, 2005)They could suffer these effects of the trauma that could adversely affect their parenting abilities. The changes on their stress response systems cause them to have maladaptive responses to their children. Adverse childhood experiences increase the chances of social risk factors that cause negative effects health-wise and adoption of very risky adult behaviors. In itself, this factor makes our society run the risks of negative parenting. As a result, adverse childhood experiences are passed on from generation to generation which affects the overall health status in a state.

References

Bourdillon, M. (2014). Child Protection in Development.

Gillam, S. (2012). Essential public health. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Maholmes, V. (2012). The Oxford handbook of poverty and child development. New York: Oxford University Press.

Mash, E. J. (2016). Abnormal child psychology. Australia: Cengage Learning.

Meinlscmidt, G. P. (2005). Long-term psychobiological consequences of adverse childhood experiences implications for vulnerability and resilience. Gottingen: GottingenCuvillier 2005.

Poverty and health. (2003). Paris.