Early Childhood Experiences Shape Health and Well-Being Throughout Life Essay

The experience a person encounters in his or her infancy period determines whether the person will lead a good life or face the cruelties of the world. Also, the same experiences will have a bearing on whether the offspring of that person will lead the same life as their parents. Basically, it is a revolving cycle that can be passed to the next generation if something is not done to disrupt it. This is what the Robert Wood Johnson foundation tries to pass to the people in the issue case brief. The issue brief advocates for investment in early childhood programs especially in the communities which live in poverty due to the immense benefits it offers. The benefits are not instantaneous but are rather long-term in nature thus investors are required to be patient. Investment in early childhood programs gives benefits like decreased delinquency among teenagers, low school dropout rates, a high transition rates to higher education, The Robert wood Jonson foundation has published other issue briefs which state the various determinants that affect health in America.

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This issue brief is addressed to parents, teachers, government, schools and private citizens with an interest in the early childhood education in America. The author presents an argument that has built on past knowledge that social and economic determinants influence in the health and development of a child. The effect of these determinants may be an obstacle in the adult life of that child. There is a close relationship between the socioeconomic determinants and the health of a child which is evidently seen from the time of birth. Children whose parents cannot afford the necessary nutrition for the development of a child are at a high risk of developing lifestyle diseases such as obesity and its risks in their adulthood. Children who live in poverty are also at a high risk of getting prone to stress due to the lifestyle they are leading. This stress may result in complications and mental issues such as depression and even suicidal thoughts in the adult life of that person.

The socio-economic determinants are also closely associated with the development of a child i.e. physically and emotionally in their infancy period. The quality and stability of the relationship between an infant and his or her parents are pegged on how endowed the parent is. This relationship influences the cognitive process of the child and also their mental development. A healthy and stable relationship between the parent and child will result in smart and independent learners. Children coming from poor families are more disadvantaged with this determinant in their development due to lack of the needed resources to equip them with the needed skills. This is so because families from a high social class are associated with increased stimulation among infants. For example, an infant from a white-collar family is likely to have a wide knowledge of words than the average family. Basically, the stress levels of a low social class family are more than that of the affluent family. .The situation can be saved if at an early stage some steps are implemented in the education of young children especially those who are disadvantaged social economically.

The child development determines whether a child will triumph over education and lead a good adult life. Children from poor backgrounds are often adversely affected in the education arena and life in general. Children with affected development are likely to take a longer time than others to read and learn. This is because of poor development of their mental well-being, therefore, interfering with cognitive processes such as reasoning which is crucial to the education of a child. Children who have had a difficult time learning in tier younger years May likely drop out of school and engage in criminal activities. The development of a child is directly associated with his or her health for the remainder of their lives. Issues such as lifestyle diseases, drug abuse, smoking, and mental illness will not be an issue due to the cognitive development of the person and the ability to make reasoned judgments.

There are several ways the author has given which if implemented early enough in the child's life would help in salvaging the situation. These methods will disrupt the cycle that establishes the social risk which turns to a health risk and later than a social risk. The author has summarized and given the findings that support these methods and strategies in table 1. Though it's difficult to link early childhood development with a health issue the Carolina Abecedarian program was able to show this. It found out that children who participated in the program were at a lower risk of getting lifestyle diseases in comparison to children who did not take part. For a program to be successful it should be able to aid the parents and give them the necessary skills required during the infant-parent relationship. A successful program should also be stimulating to children and education.

The author states that serving the parents or caregiver of the child will directly e serving the needs of the child. It is crucial that parents coming from poverty to be assisted in order o provide a good environment for her children and they have a wonderful experience. Parents can be assisted by being given a paid paternal and maternity leave income supplements. There are several examples of high-quality childhood programs. There is the Abbott preschool program which provides education to children from low-income families between the ages of 3 and 4. Tee is the child first program which is primarily focused on removing any obstacles in the lives of children. There is the Critten ton woman union which helps women from low-income community achieve economic stability.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the social class where a person is born into determines whether that person will lead a successful life or not. Children from affluent families are more likely to become successful than children coming from poverty. This is due to the social disadvantage they are in due to the parents not having adequate resources to take care of them. A child who has been socially disadvantaged is likely to develop health complications in the latter years of their lives. Offspring of a socially disadvantaged adult are likely to experience the same life that their parents lived. The only way the society can beat this is to execute programs that intervene in the lives of the children before it's too late. It is true that the experiences a person face in his or her childhood life shapes the eel being and development of that child all throughout his life.

References

P, B., s, E., k, A., & R, A. (2018). Early Childhood Shapes Well-Being throughout Life. Retrieved from https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2014/08/early-childhood-experiences-shape-health-and-well-being-througho.html

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