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Jimmy Delgado

CHILD 210

Sarah Davis

January 28, 2023

Dear Abby Letters

Chapter 05: Letter 3

Dear Immunized in Indiana

Overall, I express my gratitude because you are reaching out to me to find out more about

vaccinations and what most likely might be the outcomes for your baby. These concerns are

understandable.

It is true that vaccination has made numerous childhood illnesses including whooping

cough, chicken pox, measles, mumps, rotavirus, polio, among others. Immunization trains the

body's immune system to fight off a specific disease (Berger, 2021, p. 137). It is not true that

immunization would lead a person to contract diseases, however, as vaccinations have been

shown to have " a greater impact on human mortality reduction and population growth than any

other public health intervention besides clean water" (Baker, 2000, p. 199). Because it prevents

the spread of infections to vulnerable populations including newborns under three months old and

those with compromised immune systems, Herd vaccination is recommended (HIV-positive,

aged, or undergoing chemotherapy). Children up to 1-3 months old can receive immunizations to

protect them from diseases including polio, rotavirus, and whooping cough.
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This misconception has spread but is inaccurate because there is no conclusive evidence

that vaccinations cause or are associated with autism or SIDS. It is advisable that your child be

immunized to help them prevent getting infectious diseases; the most serious side effects include

discomfort where the injection was made and rashes, but they will eventually go away. Keep in

mind that " the risks of the diseases – especially to babies – are far greater than the risks from

immunization" (Berger, 2021, p. 139).

I hope that I might have been of assistance.

Yours faithfully, Abby

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Chapter 05: Letter 4

Dear Nanny in Nashville

I appreciate your trust in this matter, I will do my best to explain what happens with

babies at that age and what the role of crying is.

You should take into consideration as a caregiver that all babies cry, even from the day

they are born. Researchers explain the reason for this: "The prefrontal cortex has not yet

matured" (Berger, 2021, p. 128), thus, asking a baby to stop crying would be useless since babies

cannot simply decide to stop crying. Avoid yelling at or shaking the infant because doing so may

frighten them and may even cause " makes blood vessels in the brain rupture and neural

connections break, causing the shaken baby syndrome, an example of abusive head trauma"

(Christian & Block, 2009). During these periods when the baby is crying, you can walk the infant

or provide comfort.

Even though crying helps a newborn develop, excessive sobbing brought on by stress,

fear, or discomfort can have a lasting impact on a baby. According to Berger, “If the brain

produces an overabundance of cortisol (the stress hormone) early in life, that derails the

connections from parts of the brain, causing odd responses to stress lifelong.” (Berger, 2021, p.

128) This may lead to hypervigilance or emotional indifference later in life in a child or adult. As

a caregiver, you may provide the baby with comfort so he or she can overcome the stressful

situation.

I hope you may find this information useful.

Sincerely yours, Abby

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Chapter 05: Letter 5

Dear Excited in England

I appreciate receiving your letter and that you express your desire to know more about the

main functions of a baby at birth. I will do my best to help clarify these concerns.

First of all, congratulations! Nothing compares to the joy of having a child. Even though a

baby's eyes are open and particularly sensitive to bright light throughout a mid-pregnancy, the

baby's vision is still underdeveloped at birth, thus the fetus has nothing to look at. (Bornstein et

al., 2005) So, while it is true that babies are born blind, their vision improves daily, according to

several studies, and academics have struggled to characterize this development day by day

(Dobson et al., 2009). According to studies, by the time a child is two months old, he or she is

able to smile with cognition and perception in addition to staring at or observing faces. The eyes

of other people catch the newborn infant's attention, and by age 1, they can interpret emotions,

follow other people's gaze, and communicate with their own eyes (Grossman, 2017).

Even though hearing is formed during the last trimester of pregnancy, certain sounds

might cause reflexes to be triggered even before conscious awareness at birth. Additionally, a lot

of loud noises and unexpected sounds will frighten babies and make them cry. Taste and scent

quickly adjust to social settings. Prenatally through amniotic fluid, then postpartum through

breast milk, and lastly, through scents and spoonfuls of the family dinner, babies learn to like

what their moms consume. A newborn has a highly sensitive sense of touch. Babies find comfort

in activities like rubbing, massaging, wrapping, and even holding. “Even when their eyes are
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closed, some infants stop crying and visibly relax when held securely by their caregivers”

(Berger, 2021, p. 131).

Despite not being one of the five senses, pain is connected to touch. For instance, when

having their diaper changed, babies may find abrupt touches, such as feeling ice on their bodies,

to be unpleasant. Some babies may find it painful to be touched, pinched, or poked. (Berger,

2021, p. 131) As a result of their underdeveloped brains, infants react to pain in a variety of ways

that are both comparable to and different from those of adults. By gently touching your baby,

letting them know your facial features, and letting them taste food, you can use the five senses to

communicate with them.

I hope this can help you understand more about the functions of a baby at birth.

Yours faithfully, Abby

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References

Baker, Jeffrey P. (2000). Immunization and the American way: 4 childhood vaccines. American

Journal of Public Health, 90(2), 199–207.

Berger, K. S. (2020). Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence (12th Edition).

Macmillan Higher Education.

Christian, Cindy W. & Block, Robert. (2009). Abusive head trauma in infants and children.

Pediatrics, 123(5), 1409–1411.

Dobson, Velma; Candy, T. Rowan; Hartmann, E. Eugenie; Mayer, D. Luisa; Miller, Joseph M. &

Quinn, Graham E. (2009). Infant and child vision research: Present status and future

directions. Optometry & Vision Science, 86(6), 559–560.

Grossman, Matthew; Seashore, Carl & Holmes, Alison V. (2017). Neonatal abstinence syndrome

management: A review of recent evidence. Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials, 12(4), 226–

232.