Poverty as a Childhood Disease - Assignment Example

Poverty as a Childhood Disease How Childhood Poverty Is Seen As a Disease Based on the reading of Klass article, the referral of childhood poverty as a disease is due to the inextricable connection between poverty and poor health outcomes. Thus, the causes of certain ailments are rooted in both social and economic poverty, especially in the assertion that poverty is not just a cause of certain childhood ailments but also a direct consequence of childhood poor health (Klass para 18). Klass argues that childhood poverty undermines the child physical and mental wellbeing, and which in return creates poor health outcomes as they grow. Firstly, poverty exposes children to poor household livelihood conditions such as poor nutrition, difficulty in getting doctors prescriptions, or living in housing zones with smokers and drug users (para 4). This then results in numerous health problems ranging from obesity, diabetes, respiratory ailments, and heart disease. For instance, Klass observes that childhood poverty is about eating the cheapest fast foods, not being able to afford essential groceries, or living under overcrowded household conditions whereby you are not sure of security, especially from property owners who can kick the family out anytime. Thus, Klass referral of poverty as a disease is supported by Dr. Bernard P. Dreyer research, which shows that these children poor health outcomes is exacerbated by their parents’ low-incomes levels, particularly the lack of health benefits (Klass para 11). As a result, the parents cannot afford primary care let alone expensive treatments and medications. Klass also observes that family level destitution coupled with concentration of neighborhood hardships makes the children to experience poor mental health outcomes, especially childhood depressions and mental illness, and as she quotes from one of the victim, childhood poverty is “soul-destroying, grinding and cruel” (para 5). Hence, poverty results in poor cognitive development which goes on to affect the child overall growth and development. How Poverty Affect a Child Brain Development Klass main argument is that poverty creates adverse effect on a child brain development due to numerous exposures that are a direct consequence of poverty, such as poor nutrition, inadequate educational materials like books and toys, coupled with unsafe living environments. Klass points out studies that show how poverty creates social immobility, which then results in gaps when it comes to school performance and academic achievements (para 8). Specifically, poverty generates certain stigma and indignity, which makes the child to have trouble in comprehending life experiences, especially when under minimal amount of emotional support. In addition, children are zealously aware of disparities that signify disparate social statuses, and since such disparities are repeatedly reinforced in major institutions like schools, they blunt their brains by scripting their existence from that based on resolve and drive into disappointment and withdrawal (Klass para 12). As a result, school dropout and any deprived academic performance affects the child brain development negatively, since the lack of adequate formal education reduces the young child chances of acquiring major skills and knowledge particularly language deficit. Klass supports this argument using the Pediatric Academic Societies assessment which reveals that poverty leads to numerous factors which goes on to destroy the child normal reaction to stress especially since their normal reaction to stress becomes not just extreme but long long-lasting (para 11). Poverty seems to exacerbate strain and when the intensity of this form of anxiety is increased considerably at such a tender age coupled with a lack of adequate enriching conversations, it often leads to the permanent development of a child brain. This is mainly through the weakening of the brain functioning, mainly due to the obstruction of the development of brain regions that are responsible for behavioral growth, attention development, and learning. Toxic Stress and Its Impact on Children Toxic stress is the excessive and protracted activation of a child stress-response system from the brain, such that both the body and brain are exposed to extreme levels of stress hormones, particularly the cortisol and norepinephrine stress hormones (Klass para 9). This is largely due to strong, recurrent and prolonged deprivations outcomes like physical abuse, persistent neglect due to economic difficulties, exposure to substance abuse, violence, as well as emotional abuse. Klass argues that the distinctive set-up of childhood as a critical phase of child physical growth, mental and emotional development makes children susceptible to social effects of poverty. Since the brain regions that are responsible for controlling attention while regulating behaviors are made difficult by stress, the young child experiences difficulties in linking different sections of their brains in order to decipher or store information. Furthermore, given that the child has not developed adequate protection from high amounts of these hormones, it leads to the resetting of both neurological and hormonal structures, which in return permanently affects the child brain (Klass para 9). Consequently, the children brains experience damaging outcomes such as deprived cognitive outcomes leading to high exposure to mental disorders, antisocial behaviors, poor academic achievement and an increased likelihood of school dropout (Klass para 8). Notably, Klass observes that when there are no buffering relationships the toxic stress reactions often take place continually, hence generating cumulative effects on the child physical condition such as lifelong mental health problems, obesity, heart disease and weakened systems. Klass points outs that some studies even shows that such exposure to toxic stress due to poverty goes on to affect the child genes, since it scripts the child life from a drive towards determination towards patterns of dissatisfaction and deprivation (para 10). How Britain Addressed Childhood Poverty According to Klass, Britain took the most important step of acknowledging that economic, social and political structures which sustain childhood poverty are a grave threat to the nation overall childhood health status (para 13). Thus, economic, social and political structures had to be altered in order for childhood poverty to be dealt with. In that regard, Britain started to engage poverty as a national objective when former Prime Minister Tony Blair came to power. Firstly, childhood poverty is now tackled during the initial three to five years of a child life (Klass para 16). This is attained through a joint effort between the differing political entities coupled with the development of policy measures that focuses on increasing income levels in families with young children. Secondly, Klass points out Professor Jane Waldfogel study on how the British government managed to reduce childhood poverty by revealing how the government increased the minimum wage, in order to shift workers above the poverty line ( para 14). This entailed introduction of tax credits coupled with an increase in universal child tax-benefits particularly in families whose parents earn low-wages in order to cover most of the expenses of attaining superior childcare. Thirdly, the British government introduced welfare reforms with more early-childhood programs and public health measures, in order to cater for specific family needs such as paid maternity and paternity leave. Hence, parents are offered support in certain parenting areas particularly interventions during primary care and pre-schooling in order to ensure proper brain development. In addition, the policy measures introduced universal preschool initiatives that are now used to tackle gaps in school performances and academic achievements. Furthermore, the policy measures now ensures that poor parents are able to spend more resources in buying childhood books, clothing, toys and healthy foods such as fresh fruits or vegetables (Klass para 15). Thus, the overall British war on childhood poverty is geared towards reducing not just economic discrimination, but also to actively aid family cohesion while enhancing public health measures. Works Cited Klass, Perri. "Poverty as a Childhood Disease." The New York Times 13 May 2013: D4. Read More