WK1 Blog assignment

I have had very little personal experience with the child birthing process so far. One experience I clearly remember was when I was four years old. My grandfather was a doctor and helped my mother with delivering me, and was doing the same by delivering my baby brother. I remember being in the hospital waiting room with my dad when my grandpa came in and told my dad that the baby was blue. Being a naive child, I asked confused "Isn't he going to be white, like us?". My grandpa explained that he was going to look just as we do, but currently had a blue tint because the cord was wrapped around his neck. I was then given a choice of Joshua, Jason, Jonathan, or Jacob to name my brother. Of course, I choose the longest of Jonathan! For my development, this experience allowed me to ask questions about where babies come from. It allowed me to watch as my mothers body and emotions changed. It showed me that I can make big decisions. It let me be curious. For my brothers development, his lack of oxygen could have presented problems with further growth, but this was not the case for him.

I choose to research Mexico as a different place of comparison for births. 
"Mothers aged 14-19 account for roughly 480,000, or 24 percent, of Mexico's 2 million annual births, the Health Secretariat said Saturday." (EFE news service, 2012) "A teen pregnancy is considered high risk due to the immaturity of the (adolescent's) body, which puts them at risk of preeclampsia or hemorrhages, conditions that are among the main causes of maternal mortality," (EFE news service, 2012). We have seen similar trends in the US of teen pregnancies, but the education of teens and the support given to them gives them provides benefits that mexico does not. "The CDC reported the birth rate for teens ages 15 to 19 had declined 35 percent from 1991 to 2005. The news isn't quite as good in New Mexico, which has seen only a 21 percent decline in teen births from 1991 to 2004. New Mexico remains third highest in the nation for teen births, said Sylvia Ruiz, executive director for the New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition" (HOLT, 2006), In Mexico, There is a higher risk of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases because of a lack of protection, which is a result of poor sexual education. The baby is also at a higher risk due to the young age of the mothers physically, as well as the fact that they may not be aware of proper prenatal care.

EFE News Service (2012, Apr 07) Teen mothers account for quarter of all births in mexico. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/971956853?accountid=14872

Gwin, K., Schrader, R., Peters, K., Moreno, A., Thiel, K., & Leslie, K. (2012). An exploratory study of the variables impacting preterm birth rates in New Mexico. BMC Pregnancy And Childbirth, 1253.

HOLT, L. Journal, S. W. (2006, Nov 24). Teen births in U.S. at record low ; new mexico's rate is third highest in nation.Albuquerque Journal, pp. 1-A1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/324396971?accountid=14872


HOLT, L.  Journal, S. W. (2007, Jan 10). Violence tied to risky births ; poor pre-natal care also cited in new mexico pregnancy health assessment. Albuquerque Journal, pp. 1-B1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/324354410?accountid=14872