Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Factors affecting children's development, Bethany Clay Unit 1 - Coggle…
Factors affecting children's development
Genetic Factors
Diseases can be passed through genetics
Osteogenesis Imperfect (Brittle Bone Disease):
Caused by a defective gene that affects collagen production (a protein to create bone). It causes poor quality, low, or no collagen, and so the bones are weak and brittle. The bones will break easily, due to being so fragille
Juvenile Arthritis:
This causes stiff and inflamed joints, making movement difficult and painful.
Cystic Fibrosis:
This is caused by a defective gene, meaning there is a sticky coating of mucus in the lungs and digestive system. This causes lung infections and problems digesting food. People with Cystic Fibrosis can run the risk of malnutrition, as the body cannot properly absorb the nutrients it needs from food. Eventually, the lungs may stop working all together.
Asthma:
A long term inflammatory disease of the lungs which causes breathlessness and coughing. It can cause delays in growth and puberty in children. There is a risk of severe asthma attacks, which can be life threatening. Children with Asthma will need to carry around a medicinal inhaler, and may be exempt from performing certain activities such as sports.
Coeliac disease:
This is where a person cannot properly digest gluten, and as a result, the gluten attacks the lining of the small intestine. It can be managed with dietary restrictions and gluten free foods.
Biological Factors
Biological factors often affect the child before birth, and can continue to affect them for the rest of their lives.
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is where a mother drinks heavily during pregnancy, causing birth defects and learning disabilities. Babies are usually born smaller than usual, with smaller head sizes. They may have slower physical growth, and can also have heart defects and kidney problems.
If a mother is infected with a disease, or catches a disease when pregnant, it can cause serious defects. Infections such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) can cause hearing loss, visual impairment or blindness, learning difficulties and even epilepsy.
The mother's physical wellness during pregnancy can affect the child, as severe cases of stress, trauma, depression or anxiety can cause problems in the child later in life. Even simple factors as the mother's diet and physical health can affect the unborn foetus, such as the baby being bigger or smaller than normal.
Socio-economic factors
Socio-economic factors are related to income and the society in which the child grows up.
Low income families may struggle with
Poor diets - Buying unhealthy or processed foods because they are cheaper
Poor housing - Risk of illness if they are unable to fix problems with the house.
Little or no access to technology or resources like textbooks
Parents at higher levels of stress from lower income families
Low self confidence - The child may have hand-me-down or second hand clothing, they may feel like they are 'lesser' than those with a higher income because they can afford more luxurious things
Attitude and values can differ between socio-economic groups. Those with a higher income will have different priorities and attitudes to those in low income households. For example, purchasing a new car over learning to fix it yourself as it would be cheaper
Schools in low income areas are more likely to be of low quality education, leading to low school results and lack of qualifications. This also contributes to low income as the lack of a good education affects what job the individual can get.
Lifestyle Factors
Lifestyle is how someone lives, their diet, exercise, their stress and any substances they may abuse.
Households that have low income, or are incredibly busy, may resort to processed or fast food due to it being cheaper and easier to obtain. This can lead to obesity issues in children which can affect them both physically and emotionally.
Substance abuse in the household can greatly affect children's development. Whether it is them breathing in second hand smoke from tobacco or cannabis or being around adults who are drunk or high on drugs. There is a risk of lung disease and other breathing problems when breathing in second hand smoke, and children who have parents who smoke are more likely to pick it up themselves at a younger age.
The amount of exercise children have can affect how they feel, their physical health and their emotional wellbeing.
Can be social and fun, allowing children to make friends and enjoy themselves.
Can be hard to fit in to busy lifestyles or those with cultural differences
Regular exercise can reduce stress and may help depression
Stress can have a negative impact on child development. Whether it is stress from the parents or carers having low income or work pressures, or stress from the child themselves due to school, relationships or their health.
Environmental Factors
The type of family a child comes from greatly impacts their development.
Extended families:
Different generations living together or close to each other
Nuclear families:
Two parents with children
Reconstructed families:
Where a child or children may not be related to both parents (such as a step-parent or in the case of adoption)
Lone parent families:
One parent with a child or children
Parents may have poor parenting skills, be too busy or have too many children to give focus evenly. They may struggle with finances, causing stress. Some parents may have aggressive, abusive and manipulative behaviours and may neglect their children.
Discrimination and bullying has a negative impact on a child's development. It can lead to stress, anxiety and depression and can affect their ability to focus in school. They may feel threatened or unsafe, meaning they avoid going to school all together.
Housing can greatly affect a child's development.
Those living in large cities will be exposed to more pollution than those living in the countryside. Those living in low income neighbourhoods might suffer from lack of proper sanitation, which runs the risk of diseases like cholera.
Children from low income families will often live in smaller homes in densely populated areas. The homes may be poor quality, suffering from damp, cold, or poor safety mechanisms.
They may be situated in an area with a higher rate of crime.
They may have limited access to nearby shops and other facilities, and may not have access to transport.
The access to health and social care may be limited in low income areas. They may not have access to the facilities, or may not receive the same quality of care as more wealthy areas. There may be a long wait for local healthcare and social care clinics as there is lack of staff or funding.
Culture:
"The ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society."
Children come from diverse backgrounds and come from various cultures that may have different beliefs, customs and behaviours to one another. Children will learn the customs associated with their own culture.
Bethany Clay Unit 1