A discussion of education in East Tennessee
How The Student Performance Problem Starts - Even Before Conception (updated 11/18/09)
Approximately 12% of our children are learning disabled, and the figure is increasing year after year. My focus is only on what creates learning disabilities during the first five years of life, focusing on major contributors for ease of understanding by everyone. Spread the word about what you are about to learn.
The brain is the organ that develops first and most completely by the time a child is born. Almost all brain cells, more than a billion, are formed by then. More brain cells will develop during the first year of the child's life. During and after the first year, the brain cell-to-cell communication paths start developing. That is what will create a person's mental abilities, hopefully a very intelligent and successful human being. If the child's brain has not been damaged as discussed below, how well a child will develop these communication paths among the billion-plus brain cells will determine how well he/she will perform in school/university and later in jobs. If the child's brain is damaged IN ANY WAY, he/she will grow up with problems and perhaps without the ability to do anything. Although some disabilities may be carried genetically, a lot depends on the mother's behavior as far back as one year before child birth. That is long before a woman knows that she is pregnant. The child's future depends on the mother's behavior, starting about 4-5 months BEFORE she gets pregnant. If she smokes, drinks alcohol or takes drugs (even a number of prescription drugs) for three months before the pregnancy and thereafter, she can destroy or disable the baby for life. We are describing here the huge problem creators - the huge disability creators - that is under the parents' control. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE AS THE MOTHER FOR YOUR CHILD, INCLUDING ANY PROBLEMS THAT YOU AS A MOTHER CREATE FOR YOUR CHILD WITH YOUR BEHAVIOR OR ANYBODY'S BEHAVIOR AROUND YOU AND YOUR CHILD.
THE MAJOR PROBLEM CREATORS: poor nutrition, low birth weight for the child, cigarette smoking, secondary smoke or nicotine in any form, alcohol use, drug use, lead and mercury poisoning and after the child is born ANY form of abuse or neglect will damage the child's brain. Please remember as a mother, that if you allow the following exposures to happen, then YOU are actually creating these problems/disabilities for your baby, your child, for the rest of his/her life.
POOR NUTRITION impacts 3-10% of babies. Particular attention should be paid to avoiding fat in food as much as possible because many harmful substances are fat soluble, so they will reside in the fat tissue of animals and fish. Some nutritional defects may be reversible, except for the ones below. HOWEVER, poor nutrition during pregnancy impacts brain growth and is not reversible.
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (e.g., less than 5.5 lbs, and especially under 3.5 lbs) causes visual and hearing problems along with learning disabilities with impaired language skills. In addition, the child can grow up inattentive, hyperactive, depressed, aggressive or socially withdrawn. Borderline IQ and intellectual disability will require special education. Proper nutrition, not just eating anything, can prevent this from happening.
SMOKING OR NICOTINE INTAKE IN ANY FORM, INCLUDING FROM SECONDARY SMOKE causes low birth weight, asthma, long-term growth reduction, increased cancer risk, lower educational achievement, hyperactivity and inability to pay attention. The more the mother and others smoke around the pregnant mother or child, the more intense these problems become. Remember that YOU are creating these problems for YOUR child if you or anyone around you smokes.
ALCOHOL USE creates major retardation, attention deficit disorder, speech and language disorders and hyperactivity.
DRUG USE EFFECTS 11% OF NEWBORNS. It is a major learning disability creator. It creates lower birth weight, premature birth and smaller head circumference. Generally, such mothers also smoke, gain less weight during pregnancy, creating more problems for the newborn.
LEAD OR MERCURY POISONING: Lead is the biggest environmental hazard for children in the USA. Mercury is a close second. Both of them poison adults as well. Fourteen million children are affected by lead poisoning. Lead oxidizes and decomposes into dust in which children play outside. Mercury is mostly in our polluted waters (almost all water sources in the US) and in fish (muscle tissue instead of fat), especially in tuna. Both damage the brain and nervous system of a child, especially up to age 6. The damage is for life. They are also a major learning disability creator. They create lower intelligence, speech and hearing problems, attention deficit, behavior problems and disorders, inability to follow directions, increased daydreaming and distractability, lack of persistence, lack of organization, and finally serious mental illness if exposed after 6 years of age or subjected to too much exposure before.
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT cause language impairment, as well as behavior, general health, mental problems and inability to learn. IQ's are generally 20 points lower, for this cause alone, than in children who are not being mistreated, with all other factors being the same.
The more frequently we inform our children both at home and in the schools, the better they will remember these important facts, especially the young ladies who are going to be tomorrow's mothers - hopefully not too early.
Almost all of this damage is done to a child long before he/she goes to school. The cost to society in trying to correct these problems above age 6 is enormous, with a low success rate. We must at least take one 30-minute session in all our classes above a certain grade each year to inform them of these facts. It makes no sense not to do this in our school systems to reduce this huge increasing problem. It will translate into better student performance in the future at a lower cost, happier parents, and more successful adults.
This battle cannot be won by the services a school or society provides.
REFERENCES:
http://www.come-over.to/FAS/FASbrain.htm, http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1169.asp, http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_0..., http://www.essortment.com/family/doeschildsbrai_ttht.htm
The brain is the organ that develops first and most completely by the time a child is born. Almost all brain cells, more than a billion, are formed by then. More brain cells will develop during the first year of the child's life. During and after the first year, the brain cell-to-cell communication paths start developing. That is what will create a person's mental abilities, hopefully a very intelligent and successful human being. If the child's brain has not been damaged as discussed below, how well a child will develop these communication paths among the billion-plus brain cells will determine how well he/she will perform in school/university and later in jobs. If the child's brain is damaged IN ANY WAY, he/she will grow up with problems and perhaps without the ability to do anything. Although some disabilities may be carried genetically, a lot depends on the mother's behavior as far back as one year before child birth. That is long before a woman knows that she is pregnant. The child's future depends on the mother's behavior, starting about 4-5 months BEFORE she gets pregnant. If she smokes, drinks alcohol or takes drugs (even a number of prescription drugs) for three months before the pregnancy and thereafter, she can destroy or disable the baby for life. We are describing here the huge problem creators - the huge disability creators - that is under the parents' control. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE AS THE MOTHER FOR YOUR CHILD, INCLUDING ANY PROBLEMS THAT YOU AS A MOTHER CREATE FOR YOUR CHILD WITH YOUR BEHAVIOR OR ANYBODY'S BEHAVIOR AROUND YOU AND YOUR CHILD.
THE MAJOR PROBLEM CREATORS: poor nutrition, low birth weight for the child, cigarette smoking, secondary smoke or nicotine in any form, alcohol use, drug use, lead and mercury poisoning and after the child is born ANY form of abuse or neglect will damage the child's brain. Please remember as a mother, that if you allow the following exposures to happen, then YOU are actually creating these problems/disabilities for your baby, your child, for the rest of his/her life.
POOR NUTRITION impacts 3-10% of babies. Particular attention should be paid to avoiding fat in food as much as possible because many harmful substances are fat soluble, so they will reside in the fat tissue of animals and fish. Some nutritional defects may be reversible, except for the ones below. HOWEVER, poor nutrition during pregnancy impacts brain growth and is not reversible.
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (e.g., less than 5.5 lbs, and especially under 3.5 lbs) causes visual and hearing problems along with learning disabilities with impaired language skills. In addition, the child can grow up inattentive, hyperactive, depressed, aggressive or socially withdrawn. Borderline IQ and intellectual disability will require special education. Proper nutrition, not just eating anything, can prevent this from happening.
SMOKING OR NICOTINE INTAKE IN ANY FORM, INCLUDING FROM SECONDARY SMOKE causes low birth weight, asthma, long-term growth reduction, increased cancer risk, lower educational achievement, hyperactivity and inability to pay attention. The more the mother and others smoke around the pregnant mother or child, the more intense these problems become. Remember that YOU are creating these problems for YOUR child if you or anyone around you smokes.
ALCOHOL USE creates major retardation, attention deficit disorder, speech and language disorders and hyperactivity.
DRUG USE EFFECTS 11% OF NEWBORNS. It is a major learning disability creator. It creates lower birth weight, premature birth and smaller head circumference. Generally, such mothers also smoke, gain less weight during pregnancy, creating more problems for the newborn.
LEAD OR MERCURY POISONING: Lead is the biggest environmental hazard for children in the USA. Mercury is a close second. Both of them poison adults as well. Fourteen million children are affected by lead poisoning. Lead oxidizes and decomposes into dust in which children play outside. Mercury is mostly in our polluted waters (almost all water sources in the US) and in fish (muscle tissue instead of fat), especially in tuna. Both damage the brain and nervous system of a child, especially up to age 6. The damage is for life. They are also a major learning disability creator. They create lower intelligence, speech and hearing problems, attention deficit, behavior problems and disorders, inability to follow directions, increased daydreaming and distractability, lack of persistence, lack of organization, and finally serious mental illness if exposed after 6 years of age or subjected to too much exposure before.
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT cause language impairment, as well as behavior, general health, mental problems and inability to learn. IQ's are generally 20 points lower, for this cause alone, than in children who are not being mistreated, with all other factors being the same.
REMEDIES TO THE ABOVE
- Inform the public about the above to eliminate the causes that create these problems.
- Educational day-care, active instead of passive learning.
- Health education in schools about reproduction and the above hazards is very important.
- Proper low-fat diet with more vegetables and fruit.
The more frequently we inform our children both at home and in the schools, the better they will remember these important facts, especially the young ladies who are going to be tomorrow's mothers - hopefully not too early.
Almost all of this damage is done to a child long before he/she goes to school. The cost to society in trying to correct these problems above age 6 is enormous, with a low success rate. We must at least take one 30-minute session in all our classes above a certain grade each year to inform them of these facts. It makes no sense not to do this in our school systems to reduce this huge increasing problem. It will translate into better student performance in the future at a lower cost, happier parents, and more successful adults.
This battle cannot be won by the services a school or society provides.
REFERENCES:
http://www.come-over.to/FAS/FASbrain.htm, http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1169.asp, http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_0..., http://www.essortment.com/family/doeschildsbrai_ttht.htm
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Vic Spencer on -
News Sentinel, it would be helpful if you informed the public about all this. The information is very easy to verify on the Internet, just Google the topic. My name is unimportant for the article. The information here is vitally important and not well understood by students and adults alike.
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Permalink Reply by Ginevra on -
Agree with Vic here.
A couple of years ago I heard about a heartbreaking situation: a young university student who discovered that she was pregnant following an alcohol binge that she scarcely remembered. This young woman also copes with mental illness issues in her family.
I am not going to write about her final decision (she had the choices of abortion, giving birth and giving her child for adoption, or trying to raise a child which might have serious disabilities due to the circumstances of conception and early pregnancy).
I will note, however, that this situation is probably more common than we'd like to think, and seldom considered or discussed. Foregoing alcohol and promiscuity may go far beyond personal choices. The effects of careless, poisoned conception on the rest of the community are potentially very heavy burdens to bear.
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Permalink Reply by Vic Spencer on
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Well said Gin. What concerns me a lot is that although we talk about 12% of the population with such problems, the illegitimate birth rate in some areas is running close to 80% with totally uneducated girls and boys, and I would not be surprised if such children's minds were degraded with the mother doing most things that I found to be damaging. The "father" typically disappears from the scene and denies that he got a girl pregnant. I am afraid that I would be suggesting a pretty nasty old Islamic style punishment for such boys, so that they will not be able to do it again. If such news got around, I suspect the boys would become very careful as they should be. This could very well be the reason why some demographic groups score so much lower as a group than others, but there ARE individuals within such a group who do very well. Clearly we need more education in the schools about this area, as a vitally important preventative measure. I was shocked by what I found.
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Permalink Reply by Debi on -
Regarding fathers leaving. Offer some economics education from middle school about how difficult it will be for young men to be financially successful if they are paying child support before they are even 18. Show the financial differences between providing for two homes in a divorced/never married situation vs a team approach.
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Permalink Reply by shirley jones on -
it is the biggest environmental hazard for children in the USA. 14 million children are effected by lead poisoning. Lead oxidizes and decomposes into dust in which children play outside. **********************
shirley jones
*********
find attorney
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Permalink Reply by Debi on
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Vic, don't forget mercury poisoning. One can of chunk light tuna is said to contain as much methyl mercury as the ethyl mercury in flu shots. Granted, it's ingested rather than injected, but no one knows the cumulative effects. A mom that has silver amalgams is also at risk for mercury issues. Old mercury batteries, thermometers, and let's not forget all these florescent bulbs have mercury in them. Mercury vapors are the most dangerous and mercury is fat soluble. Ethyl mercury has not been studied as extensively as methyl, but Burbacher et al found that ethyl leaves the brain faster than methyl and is deposited faster into the brains of chimpanzees (I think was the primate used) than methyl. Pregnant woman are still at risk for flu shots with full-dose mercury. Tetatus shots still contain mercury, along with several others. The FDA has a complete list of those with trace or above levels of mercury.
Folate is another biggy. March of Dimes found when folate was taken spina bifida was dramatically reduced. Drinking and smoking reduces folate levels in the body, as do some medications such as metformin. Some women are given metformin to help them conceive if they have polycystic ovarian syndrome. Are they told to take extra folate? Likely not. About 1/3 of the American population has a MTHFR variant that may make folate even more crucial. Folate helps with methylation of DNA cell division/replication.
This is my personal opinion under free speech and should not be considered health care advice, by the way.
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Permalink Reply by Vic Spencer on
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Excellent input Debi, Mercury fits right in. I must keep this message very short and simple so that the kids themselves would understand it. I have to focus on the main culprits in reducing the ability of children to learn. And by the way, I did not get a positive reception from the BOE on this topic to be introduced to kids at the appropriate grade via short, 30 minute interactive discussions maybe once every 3-4 months. The feeling is that they have too much on their plate already and must focus on academic performance. I do not disagree with this. The feeling is that this should in the area of faith based organizations and parents, but we all know that a significant percentage of parents are poor, overworked and will not address this topic.
The other topic that we are in need of doing something about is teaching morals and ethics. Some Charter Schools are doing this I am told and a number of faith-based schools are doing this as well. I believe that these areas are so fundamentally necessary and lacking, that no one should take the position that "It is not my job".
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Permalink Reply by Debi on
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Vic one area this could be addressed is by strengthening health departments & the evil sex ed. In community health this quarter in college I've had the privilege of doing clinicals at health departments around the region. I believe Knox County no longer does prenatal care, but still has a STD clinic. I do not know about birth control, but Planned Parenthood is still here. If we want to reach mothers before they conceive to educate about best possible outcomes for their babies, these are all areas that can address it. Health Departments outside of Knox County do offer family planning, depending on facility.
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Permalink Reply by Ginevra on
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Cosmetics are another area to look at. Some months ago I listened to a presentation about the risks of a class of chemicals called "phthalates".
Particular brands of nail polish were described as very toxic because of an ingredient that keeps nail polish colors attractively mixed in the bottle, even when they've been sitting on the shelf for a while.
http://www.birthdefects.org/prevention/healthybaby/personal-care.html
"It is only natural to want to look your best. Putting on make-up and using hairspray is just part of the daily routine for most women. Unfortunately there is evidence that suggests some cosmetics and some hair products could actually be harmful to you and your unborn child. Recent research suggests that chemicals called phthalates, found in small amounts in many cosmetics as well as other consumer products, may be unsafe for your developing baby. Phthalates can be inhaled as a vapor or absorbed through the skin. The good news is not all cosmetics have phthalates."
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Permalink Reply by Vic Spencer on
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Debi, could you organize to get that done with some people? Whoever does it, we must make sure that they deliver the basic message at minimum. They will have to also understand that the more we complicate the message or make it more difficult to understand, the less successful we will be. We also have to make sure that good internet references are enclosed with any basic message.
I generally hate to depend on only one channel to deliver the message, so I think that we would still need very much the school incorporating this message in their programs. It would be too late to deliver it only when a pregnant girl shows up at a health clinic. Both boys and girls need to be informed of all this and related things in advance so that this particular "module" reinforces the message of not getting pregnant to begin with until one's education is done and one is ready to look after a child with maturity and the father's help.
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Permalink Reply by Debi on
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Vic, as much as I would love to, I'm completely overwhelmed with life right now. Maybe after I graduate?
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Permalink Reply by Vic Spencer on
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Can anyone else take this on, including the Board of Education?
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