Pros and Cons of caring for infants in a Childcare facility
Pros
The quality and level of care plays a noteworthy role in the development of infants. According Sigelman and Rider (2009), a study done by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) indicates that children who were raised in a quality childcare facility performed better than children raised at home did. This was based in terms of the measures of languages skills, social skills and cognitive skills.
Childcare facilities also promote the physical development of children (Benson and Haith, 2009). The childcare facility progresses a child’s motor development by increasing height and weight thus reducing infant pediatric problems. This is especially the case for infants who have come from poor families.
Quality childcare facilities also tend to improve the intellectual abilities of the children. Emphasis here is on the quality. According to Benson and Haith (2009), a study conducted by the NICHD in a number of childcare facilities showed that children did better on tests regarding comprehension, verbal fluency, and memory.
Cons
One of the problems associated with raising infants in childcare facilities is the issue of health. Children in childcare facilities tend to experience more health problems than children brought up at home. For instance, cases of diarrhea, colds, coughs, rashes, influenza and other infections are more prevalent in childcare facilities than at home. This is primarily the scenario because of the high level of exposure to pathogens. Further, a common health issue in childcare facilities is the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). According to Clarke and Auten (2011), in most childcare facilities there are tendencies of placing infants in sleep positions such as lying on their stomachs, which is a major reason associated with SIDS.
Children raised in childcare facilities tend to have more behavioral problems than children brought up at home. According to Benson and Haith (2009), children raised in childcare facilities tend to be less compliant, less polite, and less agreeable. Additionally, they are less respectful to authority. Such behavior may encourage the less intelligent children to adopt these negative behaviors.
Factors, which may have a lasting impact on the child and family
Poverty
Poverty has a significant influence on the child and family. Poverty especially that which affects women affects the health status of the mother. Poverty may lead to poor housing conditions for a mother and child. According to Ricci and Kyle (2009), substandard housing creates an unsafe environment for a child. This environment may contain a high level of exposure to toxins and exposure to violence. Children that are raised up in a violent neighborhood are more likely to adopt the violent behavior they see around them. Likewise, because of the poverty nutrition levels of the children tends to be low. Additionally, the parents and children may have inadequate access to education.
Media
Media influences children and other family members largely. In terms of health, most food producers will use media to influence the eating choices of families. According to Samour and Helm (2005), an average child will watch more than 500 food references on the television per week. The media has played a key role in increasing the obesity levels in families. Additionally, violent behaviors in movies also influence the behavior of the child.
Domestic Violence
Families in which there is abuse of children and between spouses tend to affect the growth of a child. Children who have experienced abuse or have seen either parent abused tend to develop abusive tendencies. Parents who abuse their kids are likely to have been abused themselves. According to Ricci and Kyle (2009), domestic violence may result to single-headed households, poverty, and low education levels. Domestic violence may influence the child to engage in certain activities such as substance abuse, prostitution, and performing abuse when grown up.
Pollution
Families that live in areas of high pollution are more likely to develop health conditions. This is especially the case in areas of high air pollution levels (Meggitt, 2001). Infants born in such areas and the family members may develop health conditions such as cancer, asthma, and lead poisoning. Lead poisoning affects the body functions and may reduce the child’s ability to learn. Asthma conditions caused by air pollution are normally for a lifetime and when not handled well may result to death of a child.
Components of Quality Infant Care
One main component of quality infant care is the social environment. Based on Erikson’s psychosocial theory, which emphasizes the social and emotional aspect of growth of children, infant care should ensure that at each stage in the child’s development any social conflict that arises must be handed and resolved before the children advances to the next stage of development. According to Piaget’s cognitive development theory, during the sensorimotor stage an infant will use all its senses to explore and learn (Onchwari, Ariri and Keengwe, 2008). Thus, a quality infant care needs to ensure that infants are exposed to developmentally appropriate objects. Further, quality infant care should promote and develop language that infants use to communicate.
References
Benson, J. B., & Haith, M. M. (2009).Social and emotional development in infancy and early
childhood. London: Academic.
Clark, A., & Auten, C. (2011). Assessing Child Care Providers' SIDS Practices and Website
Educational Material Use. Relational Child & Youth Care Practice, 24(3), 33-39.
Meggitt, C. (2001). Baby and child health. Oxford: Heinemann Child Care.
Onchwari, G., Ariri, J., & Keengwe, J. (2008). Teaching the Immigrant Child: Application of
Child Development Theories. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(3), 267-273.
Ricci, S. S., & Kyle, T. (2009). Maternity and pediatric nursing. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer
Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Samour, P. Q., & King, K. (2005).Handbook of pediatric nutrition (3rd ed.). Sudbury, Mass.:
Jones and Bartlett.
Sigelman, C. K., & Rider, E. A. (2009).Life-span human development (6th ed.). Australia:
Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
