Case Study Three
Those who become pregnant early in their teenage years need additional care and guidance throughout their pregnancy and during parenting. Pregnant teens have unique health concerns because their bodies are still developing and growing, and their emotional states can be very fragile. Many teen mothers may find breastfeeding awkward and feel hesitant to attempt it. Therefore, proper education, instruction, and encouragement are vital. Expecting teenage mothers should be informed that it is recommended they nurse their children for at least six months because a mother's milk is rich in nutrients and specific to their child's needs (Krol & Grossmann, 2018). Also, studies reveal those babies who are exclusively breastfed for the first few months of life are less suspectable to allergies, stomach viruses, and ear infections because their milk contains disease-fighting antibodies (Krol & Grossmann, 2018). Breastfed babies are less likely to become obese as they get older, have a lower incidence of sudden infant death syndrome, and have higher intelligence. Breastfeeding mothers benefit by experiencing fewer cases of postpartum depression, having a decreased risk of certain cancers, and experiencing an increase in weight loss postpartum (Krol & Grossmann, 2018).
Additionally, information and instruction would be given on what to expect and do while breastfeeding, such as the changes in the color of milk production, pain while feeding, sore nipples, engorgement, leaking, babies refusing to breastfeed, etc. To increase the duration of this activity, I would display an environment that is open, welcoming, and free from judgment to encourage young women to return and continue gaining the knowledge and skills to become successful with breastfeeding. As breastfeeding does not come naturally to all, I would encourage the expecting mothers to not give up after just one try. I would reinforce that having difficulty with infants latching on, sore nipples, or having little milk production is a natural occurrence and provide them with lactation consultants or other resources who can guide them to successful nursing.
Culture influences a child's growth and development in many ways, such as through society, parents, and the environment. Culture can affect a child's language, understanding of themselves, and values and beliefs. Regardless of our cultural backgrounds, all children go through developmental milestones; however, I believe each landmark is unique to each child and will vary depending on their surrounding cultural values and belief system.
Many interventions and strategies should be enforced to prevent infant injuries. This teaching plan aims to help parents minimize the occurrence of harm or injury among infants. The teaching plan will include choking and suffocation prevention, drowning prevention and watery safety, and home fall/burn prevention interventions. The prevention strategies for choking and suffocation involve making sure your child's crib is empty, removing all pillows, toys, soft bedding, and placing the infant on their back in the crib. Remove any toys or objects that pose a choking hazard, cut food into small pieces, and avoid hard to chew or swallow foods (ex: grapes, raw carrots, etc.). The prevention strategies for drowning and water safety include placing childproof gates around swimming pools, never leaving a baby unattended in a bathtub, and checking the water temperature. The prevention strategies for home fall/burn prevention include installing childproof gates around all stairs and installing working smoke detectors. Also, electric outlets not in use should have a child safety cover inserted, and all child safety belts should be utilized when available. Childproof caps and cabinet locks should be placed on all medications and household poisons to prevent unintentional poisoning events.
References
Krol, K. M., & Grossmann, T. (2018). Psychological effects of breastfeeding on children and mothers. National Library of Medicine, 61(8), 977–985. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-018-2769-0
Sleet D. A. (2018). The global challenge of child injury prevention. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(9), 1921. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15091921
