Child Development & Public Health

The public health topic that I chose is nutrition/malnutrition. I chose this topic because there was a time in my life, after both my husband and I were laid off, when we struggled to buy food and when we had barely any food at all. At that time, we had to go to the local food box where we could buy a lot of food for very little money. When you can barely afford to buy food, you learn to settle for what you can get.  Unfortunately, the cheap food is usually high in fat and low in nutritional value.

I chose to research nutrition/malnutrition in Guatemala. According to the World Food Programme (2012), "the undernutrition rate for children under 5 is 49.8%" (para. 1).  Additionally, Guatemala has the 4th highest percentage in the world of children suffering from malnutrition.  Poverty, drought, natural disasters, and low taxes have also contributed to the problem.  More than half of the population of Guatemala live in poverty and "around 16 percent live in extreme poverty" (Nyobo, 2012, para. 11).   The malnutrition of children in Guatemala has caused stunted growth and lower IQ's.

This information may impact my future work by making me aware of the problem of malnutrition among child. Specifically, if I think that a student of mine is suffering from malnutrition, I will offer any help that I can to them and their family.  For example, I would make sure that there are resources out there to help them such as food stamps or food boxes.


Nyobo, T. (2009, February 18). Fighting chronic malnutrition among impoverished children in Guatemala. UNICEF. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/guatemala_48087.html.

World Food Programme: Fighting Hunger Worldwide (2012, November 29). Guatemala. Retrieved from http://www.wfp.org/countries/guatemala/overview

Childbirth in Your Life and Around the World

I have never given birth nor have I ever seen anyone give birth. My only experiences regarding the birthing experience has been visiting the mother and baby after the birth. As for my own birth, my mother has told me that I was very late. Originally, my mother's due date was at the end of March but when I didn't show up then the doctor changed her due date to April 15th. However, I was in no hurry (according to my mom) & the doctor had to induce her on April 26th.

While researching birth in other countries, I discovered an article about harmful birthing traditions in East Timor (aka Timor-Leste) that are contributing to a high mortality rate. In East Timor, after giving birth the mother will make a fire and live next to it (with their baby) for up to 3 months. They do this because "the heat from the fire is believed to help dispel "dirty" blood" from the body after birth" (IRIN, 2009, para. 4).
Another tradition that contributes to the mortality rate is the use of birth attendants called 'dukuns'. 'Dukuns' are not trained medical professionals and their harmful practices "include encouraging the mother to push before she is ready, and placing rice or other substances in the birth canal to 'lure the baby out'" (IRIN, 2009, para. 11). 
Obviously, there are not any similarities between the birthing practices of East Timor and my own birth.  However, it makes me very thankful that if I do give birth eventually, I won't have to worry about these harmful practices.


IRIN: Humanitarian news and analysis. (2009, April 15). Timor-Leste: Gently combating harmful childbirth traditions. Retrieved from www.irinnews.org/Report/83929/TIMOR-LESTE-Gently-combating-harmful-childbirth-traditions