Ian and Molly Mahoney are thrilled to be welcoming their
first child into the world. To be sure, they have both struggled through much,
and they are now looking forward to starting a family. They know they are
having a boy, and Molly had always liked the name Thomas. So, the two agreed
that the child will be called Thomas Patrick Mahoney. Perhaps the only sticking
point for Molly and Ian is what will happen when Thomas is born – they both
feel strongly that one of them should stay home with Thomas for the first year
of his life, but neither wants to take a leave of absence from work. Further,
neither is sure that their job would be there after the hiatus with the recent
budget cuts the school system has had to manage. That leaves them with the
decision about what to do when Thomas arrives. Neither have family who are in a
position to care for an infant at this point, and they don’t like the cost
associated with day care. They seem to be stuck.
· 1) What are the typical developmental milestones
for the child in utero? Outline the
stages of pregnancy and the threats to optimal development at each stage. When
are teratogens most dangerous for the developing child?
· 2)
Is there any evidence to indicate that children
who attend day care at an early age fare better or worse than children who do
not? Cite relevant research. Does it matter in terms of development whether or
not one biological parent cares for the infant? What alternatives might exist
for Molly and Ian?
· 3)
Find examples from other industrialized countries
of parents managing the issue of child care in creative and flexible ways. List
at least 3 alternative social/economic arrangements which provide effectively
for the needs of children and families. Be sure to indicate the countries in
which you find the examples.
DECISION POINT ::: How do Molly and Ian resolve the issue of day care versus one staying at home?
1) A baby’s ears, eyes and respiratory stem begin to take form four weeks after conception. At eight weeks, the baby is the petite size of a grape, the nose is beginning to appear, and the arms, legs, fingers, and toes, are growing as well. At 12 weeks, the baby begins to move around the room, and he or she is usually about two inches long. The baby’s heartbeat can heard, and the baby’s sex organs will appear. The baby begins to have a taste bud between 13 and 15 weeks after conception, and at 16 weeks the baby’s eyes blink, he or she can make fingerprints, and the heart/blood vessels have completely formed. Around week 20, the baby can suck his or her thumb, yawn, make faces, etc and soon the mom will feel the baby moving around, called “quickening.” An ultrasound can also be performed of the baby at this time, and the baby’s body, arms, legs and gender will be revealed. At 24 weeks, the baby is more aware and sensitive to the sounds it hears, and the baby’s movements will react to the sounds; the mother may feel the baby moving around more frequently than before. At 28 weeks, the baby is moving around a lot, and a premature baby could survive if he or she was born at the time. At 32 weeks, the baby begins to put on more weight, and the baby’s skin develops more fat, reducing wrinkles. At 36 weeks, the average baby weighs 5.5 pounds, and 12.5 ounces. The baby’s lungs are almost completely developed, and the brain is growing quickly as well. The typical “at term” baby is 37 weeks old, and a full term baby is born between 38 and 42 weeks.
ReplyDeleteMost normal pregnancies last for approximately 40 weeks. These weeks are divided into three trimesters. By week 37, the baby is considered full term and the organs inside have the ability to function on its own. The first trimester consists of weeks 1-12. In this stage, the baby is an embryo and consists of two layers of cells that the organs and body parts will develop from. The baby becomes the size of a kidney bean around two months of development. It is constantly moving and has distinct, slightly webbed fingers. The second trimester includes weeks 13-28. The baby is now about 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce. It’s tiny fingers have now formed unique individual fingerprints. At four months, the baby is about 5 inches long and weighs 5 ounces. It’s skeleton is starting to harden from rubbery cartilage to bone. This transformation from cartilage to bone can be liable to threats of development. This is a very critical period for the baby. At five months, the eyebrows and eyelids are now in place. The baby can now be approximately 10 inches long if the legs are stretched out. At 6 months, the baby weighs about a pound and a half. it’s wrinkled skin is starting to smooth out as the baby puts on baby fat. Finally in the last trimester, around 7 months of development, the baby weighs about 3 pounds and is more than 15 inches long. It can pen and close eyelids and also follow a light. At 8 months, a baby now weighs about 4 ¾ pounds. It’s layers of fat fill it out, making it rounder. Lungs are also well developed. At 9 months, the average baby is more than 19 inches long and weighs nearly 7 pounds, however babies vary in size. This is the stage in which the baby is born.
Overall, the risk of delivering a child with a birth defect is only at about 3%. The most common birth defects are those associated with the brain, spinal column, heart, and limbs. Another main defect includes the chromosomes in the cell of the fetus. This can cause a baby to have Downs Syndrome. Other defects can come from the mother’s eating habits, blood pressure, alcohol intake, smoking, lifestyles, and environment. It is important to have frequent doctor visits to ensure the best for the developing baby and to maintain the health of the fetus.
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DeleteWhen it comes to teratogens, the period of the embryo is the most dangerous. This is because the embryo attaches to the mothers blood stream and takes in everything from the mother, and all that she ingests. The reason the embryo stage is most prone to have the most effect is because it is most vulnerable to a miscarriage. In later stages, teratogens will cause birth defects to the fetus.
Delete2) Experts in early childhood development believe there's no substitute for the parent. In 2003, two studies were published, one done by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the other by the Institute of Child Development of the University of Minnesota. These studies showed that children who spent all day in daycare had higher levels of stress as well as more aggression than children who were cared for at home.
DeleteHowever, in another study conducted at the University of Massachusetts showed just the opposite. Children in daycare do better academically and socially than those who stay home with their parents, especially if the parents are not financially stable or educated. Research done by state departments of education concur with these results. Most experts believe that it's the quality of childcare that's most important.
The role of the mother and father are both very important in unique ways. There have been numerous research studies about the importance of father involvement in a child’s life. Studies show that fathers who are involved and nurturing with their infants have children with higher IQs. In 2001, U.S. Department of Education study found that highly involved biological fathers had children who were 43% more likely than other children to earn mostly As and 33 % less likely than other children to repeat a grade. On the other hand, the mother-infant bond is critical to the emotional and social development of the human infant. Overall, it is ideal to have both parents take an active role in raising their child.
3) According to BBC News, many European countries including, France Sweden, and Norway have different policies concerning working-parents and childcare. In the United States, child-care expenses are solely paid of pocket by the working parent or parents. However, in Europe much of the childcare cost is covered by the government or paid almost like a stipend to the family. In Sweden, both parents are eligible to receive childcare benefits which are paid for by the government. Daycare in a public setting is subsidized and many jobs allow for a variation in the hours per week worked by the woman to enable a flexible relationship with her child. In Norway, the situation is slightly different where many mothers are allowed to take a leave of absence for twelve months with pay of 80%. Additionally, both working parents have the right of working six hours per day at a prorated rate until their children are 8 years of age. In France, there is a dual system of a leave of absence concerning childcare and the public school system. Roughly 20% of children under the age of two attend a subsidized care facility. Many of the professionals working in the childcare industry have high degrees of education and must be certified in graduate training of early education. In Italy, public child care is not as widely used; instead, there is a primary focus of childcare pressed on the grandmother and husband. Many families tend to use the resource of extended family members. Lastly, Australia utilizes a few creative ways to provide childcare. Private arrangements, also known as, obtaining help from your family members is one great and creative way to find childcare for your child, particularly by asking the grandparents. Child swapping is an inexpensive way to trade your child back and forth between close family friends and return the favor when your friend is in need. A family day care, run through a local community council, is another great option to enroll your child in. Finally, by having a nanny/Au Pair live in your household it saves the family a lot of grief and provides a greater convenience to the family if the care giver is living on your home.
ReplyDeleteDECISION POINT: After much contemplation, Molly and Ian have decided to ask both of their respective employers about the possibility of working part-time. Although Ian only teaches one class a week, it requires a lot of outside research and time at home for planning and it will also prove more difficult for Ian to be at an infant’s “beck and call” during the first year due to the fact that he is in a wheelchair. Molly will ask for a part-time work week consisting of Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and Ian will ask for his class to be pushed to an evening slot, giving him time to stay home during the days.
ReplyDeleteA few weeks later, Molly was granted her part-time work week of Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays with Thursdays and Fridays off. Ian was unable to get his class pushed to evening times, but he teaches on Mondays and Wednesdays, giving him Tuesdays off. To them, this is the perfect balance between the parents being home and away. For now, they are preparing to assume the cost of daycare for the two days of the week that both of the parents are unavailable (Monday and Wednesday) while they are on the hunt for a potential part-time nanny.
Sources:
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Babycenter.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-week-by-week
The importance of mother-infant bonding to a child. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://janiek13.hubpages.com/hub/The-Importance-Of-Mother-Infant-Bonding-To-A-Childs-Health
BabyCenter, L.L.C. (2012). Babycenter. Retrieved from http://www.babycenter.com/0_stay-at-home-parents-overview_5959.bc
Fox, M. (2010, May 14). Reuters.com. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/05/14/us-daycare-usa-idUSTRE64D0LT20100514
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