Hunter Arias – Week Two
Just after birth, the child now named Hunter has found his new
home. He will be a part of the Arias family. After Rick’s accident, Sandy and
Rick Arias are thrilled to have a chance to have another child, and the
transition is going fairly well with their 4 year old, Hunter’s older
step-brother Jake. Hunter has proven to be a much different baby than Jake, and
he cries much more than Sandy remembers Jake crying. Sometimes, he wakes up at
night crying and seemingly cannot be consoled. Sandy and Rick bring him to
sleep in their bed many a night, and this seems to help somewhat. The
pediatrician has told them that Hunter has “colic” and that they shouldn’t be
worried. Hunter has had all of his immunizations, and Rick and Sandy have heard
that this can cause problems for kids. In fact, they’ve heard it causes Autism,
and they are not sure they are going to have him continue his immunization
schedule – particularly if he keeps on like this at night.
* Write a developmentally appropriate narrative of the
conversation you would have with Jake about his new brother.
* If he continues to have trouble at night, would you advise
Sandy and Rick to continue to bring Hunter into their bed? Why or why not?
* What should Sandy and Rick expect at this point in terms
of Hunter’s major developmental milestones? What should a 3-month old be doing?
Is his “colic” something that Sandy and Rick should be concerned about? Why or
why not?
* Are vaccines safe for children? Is there any evidence that
they cause Autism as Sandy and Rick have heard? Would you recommend that Hunter
continue to receive his immunizations? Why or why not? What are the risks if he
does not receive them?
DECISION POINT
* Will Hunter continue to receive his immunizations?
Sandy: Honey, what do you think about your new baby brother, Hunter?
ReplyDeleteJake: He cries a lot Mommy. Why won’t he stop?
Rick: We know that buddy, but he is just trying to get familiar with his new family and surroundings. Did you have any other questions about Hunter?
Jake: Well my friends from pweschool have brothers and sisters that look like them and Hunter doesn’t look like us. And he didn’t come home from the hospital like I did.
Sandy: You’re right, Hunter does not look exactly like us but that’s what makes him special, sweetheart. He came from the adoption agency we found. We wanted another baby but after Daddy was hurt in his accident we had to find another way, and luckily our prayers were answered when we received Hunter.
Jake: Okay I believe you. I like him sort of but not when he cries.
Sandy & Rick: We are working on helping him feel more comfortable and learning how to soothe him when he needs our care and support. But you can help us out by being a good big brother and helping Hunter be happy and when he is upset as well.
Jake: I’ll be the bestest big brother ever!
If hunter continues having trouble at night, with the colic affecting his sleeping pattern, we would advise Sandy and Rick to bring Hunter to bed with them in order to soothe him. However, we would not recommend that he stays and sleeps in their bed. There has been research where parents could potentially roll over their child if they are sleeping with them. Therefore we would recommend them soothing Hunter and then putting him down to sleep in his crib. According to Understanding Colic “Keeping your baby close in your arms, swaddled in a blanket or in a sling may help calm your fussy baby. This creates a warm and confined environment more like the womb” (Colic calm 2011). For the Arias family, we would recommend that they try soothing Hunter first, and if the crying persists for more than 30 min, Seattle Children’s Hospital suggests, “If you have tried quiet holding for more than 30 minutes. Some overtired infants need to cry themselves to sleep”. Many parents may not feel comfortable letting their young infant cry, however it is a way for the child to tire himself out and fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Similac’s website, Hunter should be beginning to develop his personality. He should be exposed to many different types of stimuli such as textures, sounds, bright lights and objects. He should also be able to hold his head up easily and stably on his own. Hunter should also be making noises like “cooing”, or at least making some sort of sounds. Another milestone that a three month old should be able to reach is the act of reaching or grabbing for familiar objects, such as food, toys or clothing. Lastly he should be able to follow objects that are close to their face when they are moved from side to side.
ReplyDeleteFor the dilemma that Rick and Sandy are facing with Hunter being “colic”, there are a few things that they can try in order to solve this problem. Some factors that may worsen colicky babies’ symptoms include overfeeding, feeding certain foods that may be high in sugar, undiluted juices, any foods that may cause the baby gas, excess anger or hostile environment inside the household and many other factors that are still unknown. There are a variety of reasons for having a colicky child. Sandy and Rick should try one thing at a time and be patient with the child because frustration shown by the parents may further upset the child. One of the first things that they could try is to consult their doctor and see if it would be a good idea for them to switch formulas or feeding methods. Sandy and Rick will most likely be concerned because of the fact that it is very stressful and overwhelming. However, this is a pretty common event for a child and they just need to be patient and continue to try different tactics in order to help Hunter.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccines are safe for children. There is evidence, however it is false and not scientifically correct evidence, that vaccines cause Autism. Sandy and Rick have heard of this terrifying completely FALSE evidence. We as a group strongly believe that Hunter should continue to receive his immunizations because if not he could be exposed to the following diseases: Hepatitis B, Polio, Pneumococcal Disease, Diphtheria, Tetanus & Pertussis, Rotavirus, and Hib (CDC 2010). If Hunter were to not get the vaccines he would become very ill if he contracted any of the above listed diseases and possibly die.
ReplyDeleteDecision Point: We as a group believe that Hunter should continue with his immunizations.
Yes, Hunter will continue with his immunizations which will benefit his health and life.
B.D. Schmitt, M.D. (2010). Crying Baby Before 3 Months Old. Retrieved from http://www.seattlechildrens.org/medical-conditions/symptom-index/colic/
ReplyDeleteCDC (2010). Concerns about Autism CDC Statement on Autism and Thimerosal Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/Autism/Index.html
TJL Enterprise Inc. (2011). Understanding Colic. Retrieved from http://www.coliccalm.com/baby_infant_newborn_articles/understanding-colic.php#theories
MedicineNet Inc. (2011). Colic. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/colic/article.htm
Similac (2011). Month three, now I recognize you. Retrieved from http://similac.com/baby-development/3-month-old-baby-tips-advice