This week I met a young lady, 16 years of age who came into
the clinic to ask if her child could be seen today without an appointment
because she forgot to make one last time she was seen. I talked to her a bit
while she waited to ask the doctor, and I found out that she her sister was 15
and pregnant. I know that it is culturally acceptable to have children at a
young age here, however I think I’m right to assume these pregnancies were not
planned. The 16 year old told me the father was waiting outside the clinic. I
asked if she was married to him, and she said she was too young to get married.
I wonder if the school has a sex education program or if any community outreach
programs target sex education.
I’ve encountered two babies that were quite different than
other babies I’ve seen. One who was
fascinated by her shoes and could look at them for a long time and would also
stare at the ceiling. Her demeanor was very sweet and calm. The doctor was
concerned she could not hear or speak, but the mother assured her that she
could hear, and she was too young to speak words. Another child was super
hyperactive and could just not stop moving. I knew this child had a
neurological development problem. I
wonder if most parents of the island are aware of autism or ADHD. I believe
there is a center to help kids with Autism, but I am not sure, and will ask the
doctor next week.
A one year old infant girl I met also had a very calm and
sweet demeanor would not cry. Her mother had momentarily left to the room while
I was laying the infant down to measure her height, when she began to tremble.
I told her mom who came right over to comfort her. She told me instead of
crying when she got scared, she trembled.
This week I’ve heard a lot about Dengue. Sometimes there is
a woman who comes to the waiting area to educate the parents about Dengue. The
doctor in the clinic was talking to another woman about people who have had
symptoms similar to Dengue but are not testing positive. The first sign seems
to be high fever. I want to ask the doctor more about the true cases she has
seen of Dengue and if she suspects a new type of disease outbreak.
