Vulnerable Populations

In the Rishi Manchanda's Ted video, he emphasized the importance of the patients' environmental assessment.  As he pointed out, where the patients live matters more than their genetic code.  After his video, I realized that we have been missed one of major cause of disease.  In order to treat the patient better, it's significant to assess the patient's environment as well as their health history.  As Tracey J. Woodruff mentioned in her video, "Global Reproductive Health and the Environment", the medical staff such as doctor or nurse care the patient directly.  In particular, the doctors have authority to assess and take care the patients and the patients will listen and trust them.  While doctors or nurses assess the patients, they should really use upstream approaching method.

As the module for this week emphasizes, there is vulnerable populations from exposure of toxic chemicals.  In the Little Thins Matter, it shows how chemical toxic affects on children even with very low level.  In particular, IQ scores was decreased in Lead exposure in the U.S.  It was little shocked to me because we can get Lead easily anywhere.  In South Korea, which is where I came from, it is still common to feed the children with canned or processed foods.  Also, the organic foods is not as common as here.  In average, Korean people are less aware of the problem of toxic chemical than American.  Therefore, more children in Korea are at higher risk of getting toxicity.  Not only Korean have lack of knowledge about this issue, but also many other countries like China also put their children in danger to get toxicity.  This issue need to be fixed globally.

The video, "Program on Reproduction and Environment at UCSF", was very helpful for me to know how this chemicals affect on children deeply.  I enjoyed to watch each speakers' own experience associated to the topic.  For example, Tyrone B. Hayes' work experience with Atrazine and frogs.  The reproductive system of male frogs changed abnormally after exposed to Atrazine.  They have multiple testes and ovaries, function as female, and develop eggs like female.  As Tracey Woodruff explained in her presentation, the effect of toxicity does not only apply to the animal, but also to human.  For instance, breast cancer increased by Atrazine, which increases the amount of Estrogen in human body, according to Hayes. There are enough evidence to support that this toxicity increases birth defect in human.  I was very shocked when Katsi Cook presented about the breastfeeding.  She found that adolescents who had been breast fed had significantly higher PCB levels than those who had not been breastfed.  According to Maricel V. Muffin et al., "its presence was also reported in maternal and fetal plasma and in placental tissue in humans and in the milk of nursing mothers".  I have learned that breastfeeding is recommended and better than formula feeding from my OB and Pediatric nursing classes in this semester.  That is not the all case anymore in current environment.  When our environment is getting sick, women is getting sick as well.  This will make baby more sick if we don't fix and treat in right time.

In conclusion, this topic makes me alert about how seriously the chemical toxic can affect on human. Also, I realized that it is very significant to assess and intervene the problem when we can still fix it. We need to consider that how easily we can assess the chemical toxic around us.  Finally, we cannot neglect even with small amount of toxic because it affects on vulnerable population more seriously.