Child Development and Public Health

I am going with the health issue of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is a global concern not only in the US, Korea and Africa, but worldwide. Laureate Education states. “healthy children are a prerequisite for healthy communities and healthy societies. Public health measures are designed to contribute to children’s health.” (Laureate, 2020). In the United States of America “sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) remains one of the most intriguing mysteries in medicine. The US National Institute of Child Health and Development defines this syndrome as the “the sudden death of an infant under one year of age, which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including the performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history.” (Laureate, 2020).

However, many risk factors contribute to SIDS such as prone sleeping position (lying face down), sleeping on the same bed with parents and higher ambient temperature (the average air temperature surrounding something or someone). According to the article, Landmark Publications on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Bibliometric Analysis, “ The identification of these risk factors in conjunction with worldwide campaigns has led to decline in the incident of SIDS by almost 50%” (Laureate, 2020). However, the mortality rate is still high in developing countries as a result of SIDS. Even so, experts are worried that until the cause is exact, they might not be able to eliminate the disorder.

On the other hand, according to the article, Ambient Air Pollution and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Korea: A Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Study, “sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is an occasional cause of unexpected mortality in infancy.” In addition to the prone sleeping position, sleeping on the same bed with parents and higher ambient temperature, air pollution is also seen as an environmental factor that falls under the umbrella of ambient air temperature. In this study, the researcher seeks to estimate the risk and effects of exposure to air pollution as it relates to birth weight, gestational age and maternal age.

Furthermore, In Cape Town, infant mortality is used to quantify the health status of the populace. In the article, A 5-year retrospective analysis of death as Salt River Mortuary, Cape Town, “The South African (SA) infant mortality rate remains high, with an estimated 29.9 deaths per 1000 live births recorded in 2018” (Laureate, 2020). In Cape Town data reveals that lower respiratory tract infections account for most infant deaths. On the contrary, these findings also reveal that developing countries blame SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants. But many infant deaths cause remain unknown.

In concluding, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome affects all nations, I particularly chose this health topic to more insights on it and to be able to share the information with the parents with whom I work. I did a little reading when I had my son, who is now two years old. However, I did not delve into the topic. As an Early Childhood Professional, I can share my findings in the Parent Place. Mainly, how in Jamaica we are celebrating the month of November as National Parent Month. A word of advice to parents, be careful with “your bundle of joy” and take all the necessary precautions to keep your babies healthy, happy, harmonious, heavenly-gifts.

Reference

 

Laureate Education (2020) https://class.content.laureate.net/6856a260a7211b9dc7d3a7f8ddaaab5a.html#section_container3

Laureate Education (2020) https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ eds/pdfviewer/ pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=bd69cdf4-9c78-4dea-bc66-570e4805828d%40sdc-v-sessmgr03

Laureate Education (2020) https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/ pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=dfef70d0-8583-42b1-8416-a3df746c5978%40sessionmgr4006

Laureate Education (2020) https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/ pdfviewer ?vid=1&sid=89d17bc4-3c88-4fa9-a9e3-26f29f9c5662%40pdc-v-sessmgr02