Mother Smoking - Term Paper Example

Assignment It is common knowledge that there are many factors that can impact a fetus but mothers may not know this upon their first pregnancy. Many people know that nicotine is harmful but they do not know why. According to the text, issues of "preterm births, low birth rates, respiratory problems and sudden infant death syndrome" (Santrock, 2005, p. 73) cane be exacerbated because of nicotine. One study was able to show that a mother smoking while carrying a baby can create poor language skills and cognitive problems. This study also found that fathers who smoke can also create problems for the fetus and they can be "four ounces lighter at birth for each pack of cigarettes per day" (Santrock, p. 73) that a father smokes. Drugs can also have an impact on the fetus. Drugs like cocaine can reduce birth rate, the length of the baby and the babys head circumference can be smaller. Alcohol can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome for the child, which can include facial deformities, "defective limbs, face and heart" (Santrock, p. 72). Years ago it was also shown that environmental poisons like radioactive affected the fetus. As an example, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant spread radioactive contamination that spread well beyond the local area. As a result, many children were born with deformities and health problems. Environmental hazards that come from carbon monoxide, lead or mercury can affect a childs mental development over time. Genetically, there are several disorders that can happen in utero. PKU or Phenylketonuria is a genetic disorder that does not allow amino acids to metabolize in the body. Sickle-cell anemia also is a genetic disorder that "impairs the bodys red blood cells" (Santrock, p. 59). Assignment 2 Parents do not seem to see the effects that their behavior can have on their baby. I have seen many people who continue to smoke or drink during their pregnancy and I never could understand why. I asked a mother once and she said that she did not think that her drinking alcohol or smoking could actually harm her baby because she was protected in the womb. This of course is not true, but I think that people want to believe certain things so that they do not have to stop their own behaviors. As you said in your post, even a little alcohol can cause a problem for a fetus. I wonder why more mothers do not understand that they are putting their babies at risk when they do these behaviors. I think it is sad when parents cannot stop drinking or smoking for the nine months that they carry a child. I often wonder if this is some sort of rebellion against having a child in the first place. Perhaps some mothers do not want the baby to dictate to them what they can and cannot do, or perhaps the addiction to these substances is just too much for them to handle on their own; perhaps they need help to stop. I found particularly interesting the idea that a mother who is smoking is more likely to produce a child with attention deficit disorder than one who is not smoking during pregnancy. This fact alone may be a reason why so many children are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD when they get to school. Assignment 3 One challenge with aging is the fact that the brain changes. There is often a slight difference in memory at first and sometimes this can cause minor or major problems for the adult. The brain actually begins to lose weight between the ages of 20 and 90 and brain volume also changes. The brain and the spinal chord also slow down (Santrock, 2005). To keep the brain alert, many experts suggest that doing crossword puzzles or Suduko puzzles will help to exercise the mind. Santrock states that people who keep their minds busy are able to stay lucid. As an example, sisters who worked a long time had stronger minds than those that did not (Santrock, 2005). This reminded me of two sisters, The Delaney Sisters who both lived to be over 105 years old. They had a daily regimen of exercise and nutrition that the practiced and they kept their minds very active (Delany, Delany, and Hearth 1993). Another challenge that older adults have is with their joints and bones. One of these challenges is rheumatoid arthritis which is an inflammatory disease that can cause swelling, pain, stiffness and "loss of function in the joints" (NIH Senior Health, 2009). Often older people will feel the stiffness in their hands and fingers. Some scientists think that this happens from many factors, including hormones or the environment; they also think that genetics may play a part (NIH Senior Health). Rest and exercise can help and these two together can help people sleep better, and maintain a more positive attitude. Medication helps some people but many also take vitamins and other supplements like calcium. A nutritional diet can also help (NIH Senior Health). Assignment 4 The brain is an interesting part of us because most of us have no idea what the function of the brain really is, but we can relate to it when we begin to lose memory. Your post was interesting because it dealt with the brain and how as we age, we begin to lose memory. In my opinion, it is a shame that we are losing our memory as we age, but the good news is that many people have combated this fact by doing activities that help the brain stay alert. I live in an area where older people are very active and they are finding it important to do things with their lives. They do not sit at home and vegetate if they can help it. I know many older people who spend a couple hours each week playing Bridge, Pinochle or Mahjong to keep their minds alert. In each of these games, the individuals must make sure that they can follow along with what they are doing because the games can get complicated. The brain fascinates me because there is so much to it. We do not think about our brains the way we do with other parts of our body because it is not something we can see or hold; however, when something goes very wrong with it, the brain seems to be more vocal than other parts of the body. The idea that something like acetylcholine could be the answer to Alzheimers disease is interesting. Although your post did not say that, I believe that there could be something in all of this to help resolve this disease. I am sure that researchers are working on this and other things to see how we can stop this disease before it begins. It would stand to reason that nuns would have a higher incidence of donating their brain to science than anyone else. I am not sure why that is, except that they may understand that they are not their bodies when they die. I think that what makes the difference between whether a brain deteriorates in old age or not is the ability of the individual to keep their minds active. According to your post, The Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato lead this type of life. I believe that if elderly people are allowed to stay in their homes and stay active as much as possible, they can retain their minds in a healthier condition. Assignment 5 Although there are several stages where bodily growth and changes have their greatest impact, I believe that adolescence and middle adulthood are where emotional, physical and psychological challenges are most noticeable. According to Santrock (2005), puberty is a time of "rapid physical maturation involving hormonal and bodily changes … " (p. 96). I think that children attempt to become more independent during puberty and this continues when they get to adolescence. They are ready to move away from dependency on their parents to a more assertion of their independence and they take it as far as they can. This can be a very emotional time for them and parents may find that their teens are having mood swings. These are a natural part of this time. Puberty begins a growth spurt that can occur earlier for boys than for girls. Body shape also changes and hormones being to move up and down. Estrogen for girls and testosterone for boys can create problems for many teens (Santrock, 2005). Many young people begin to experience acne for the first time which creates embarrassment and stress. This is also a time when some girls start menstruating and boys will experience that their penis and testicles are growing (Santrock, 2005). Also, voices will change, more hair will grow no the body and facial hair will grow on boys. Emotionally, children can be more volatile during these times. As adolescent begins, mood swings happen more often and the emotions seem to be more intense than when the child was younger. Many teens show signs of depression or extreme outbursts of anger during this time; there can also be longer bouts of sulking. Girls during this time can be more depressed than boys (Santrock, 2005). Friendship is very important in adolescence and having friends who are similar is very important. According to Santrock, "Three is a dramatic increase in the psychological importance and intimacy of close friends during early adolescence" (p. 531). The need for intimacy makes teens want to form bonds with close friends. They have a tendency to have friends who think like they do and this helps them understand that they are not alone in how they are thinking and feeling. They share their feelings and they support each other in terms of their self-worth (Santrock, 2005). It was interesting to see that girls are more apt to talk about friends being loyal and having intimate conversations more often than adolescent boys. The studies have shown that boys do not refer to their friends as being someone that they can tell their feelings to (Santrock, p. 531) which could be the result of gender role differences. Although the textbook says that here are not many changes in growth during middle adulthood, I think there are many ways that move an individual from adolescence through middle adulthood that create other types of growth. Although there is no physical growth, at this stage in life, many people go through emotional or psychological changes that can change their entire life path. Santrock states that middle-aged people lose weight and they tend to gain it back. For people who want to lose weight, it can be more difficult in middle adulthood. People will find wrinkles during this time and hair can begin to grey. These changes can create challenges for those in middle adulthood because of societys emphasis on youth. This emphasis puts pressure on them to present themselves as more youthful. Many will undergo cosmetic surgery, they will dye their hair, and they will purchase wigs in order for them to appear younger. Emotionally, these actions can be difficult for self-esteem and it causes stress. This can also be a time when people begin to think about their mortality, especially in situations where health is compromised. Social situations are important to some middle adults and often having groups of people to do things with seems important. Some people may meet regularly to play Bridge or other group games to have the sense of comradery. For women, peri-menopause or menopause may be a concern and the loss of fertility for some women can be a cause for depression (Santrock, 2005). By the time middle adulthood happens, those who want to be married are married or have been at least once. Many have families by this time. This is also a time when some couples may have marital problems at this time and may or may not be able to work them out (Preisser, 2004). Middle adulthood is also a time when many people go through a mid-life crisis which can make them worry that they are not doing enough in their lives or they begin to 1uestion whether their life has any meaning at all (Preisser, 2004). There are many issues that occur during this time that can trigger a mid-life crisis like death, children leaving home, a divorce or a serious illness; loss of a job can also be a source of emotional stress. Many psychological feelings that can occur include personal failure, a sense of urgency, deteriorating health and a sense of needing to do something new. References Delany, S. L., Delany, A.E. and Hearth, A. H. (1993). Having our say: The Delany Sisters first 100 years. NY: Dell Publishing. NIH Senior Health. (2009). Rheumatoid Arthritis. Retrieved March 22, 2010 from http://nihseniorhealth.gov/rheumatoidarthritis/toc.html Preisser, C. (2004). Middle adulthood. Maricopa Community College. Retrieved March 21, 2010 from http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d46/psy/dev/mid_adult/. Santrock, J.W. (2005). A topical approach to lifespan development. 2nd Edition. NY: McGraw-Hill. Read More