The Developmental

Psychology of The
Black Child
Chapter 1 - The Prenatal Period

Is the black child a white child who happened to

be painted black?

The south African society assumes that except the

colour of the skin and economic differences, the black
child is the same as the white child. Eg Rainbow Nation

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 Is also assumed that what is good for the white child is

good for the black child. White children represents all
that is superior and black children would profit/gain by
close imitation and assimilation of their white
counterparts. Eg Accents, Behaviour, Values

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 The mental and physical development patterns of the white

children becomes an optimal standard by which the black child is
measured. Eg Diet and Play&Training

All this things are done with the reason that our children will
achieve the socio-economic equality with whites if and when
black children are given the same opportunities and reared the
same as white children. Eg Bussing out
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 Yet, all this efforts made, the social, Psychological,

economic and educational gap is broadening which
separates the same black and white children.

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 What kind of the world is the black child born into?, he is much
more victim of that world adverse effects than any other ethnic
child?
The unfortunate effects of Apartheid, past and present racial
discrimination and cultural deprivation, make themselves felt
during this period when the very foundation of life is being laid.
The condition of black mothers existence influences her childs
basic physical and mental development.

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The prevailing socioeconomic-emotional environment surrounding

the majority of black mothers exposes them to factors which
adversely influence the development of their unborn babies.

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Maternal Health

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Maternal Health
Disease and disorders may negatively affect the health,
growth and development of her child. Eg Syphilis,
Gonorrhoea, Poliomyelitis, Rubella, Smallpox,
Chickenpox, Measles, High blood pressure and Diabetes
Poverty-stricken sociocultural conditions, absence or
lack of adequate prenatal medical care affect
development of mental and physical body of the child.
Even if the unborn black child is not exposed to
maternal diseases and infections, he is far more likely
than his white counterpart to contract these diseases
and infections during childhood or adulthood.
A great percentage of black potential is destroyed in the
wombs of black mothers as a result of the black
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condition.

Drugs
The black condition also induces ingestion by black mothers harmful drugs such as
Alcohol, Nyaope, Weed etc

In her efforts to cope with environmental stress, personal problems, peer group pressure.
The black mother may increase her intake of Alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs with the
objective of finding temporary escape from stress or as a means of accomplishing peer
group approval and social acceptance.
The maternal bloodstream is the source of foetul nourishment, growth and development.
Substances may acutely or chronically upset the healthy constituency of the maternal
blood and impose a strain on her Physiological functioning and of the foetus thereby
poses a threat to the fetuss normal mental and physical development.
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Drugs
The social-cultural disruption caused by addictive drugs
is well known. However, less well known in the
developmental disruption addictive drugs cause in the
children born of addicted mothers.
Marijuana which is not an addictive drug, has no
demonstrated effect on the fetus.

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Maternal Malnutrition
The fetus obtain its nourishment from its mothers
bloodstream it is essential that the mothers diet
provide the necessary nutrients if the fetus is to attain
its full genetic, mental and physical potential.
1. Proteins Tissue growth, repair and building
2. Fats fat tissue formation, body fuel
3. Carbohydrates strength and energy
4. Vitamins and minerals Growth and for maintaining
the body in optimal physical
condition and working
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Maternal Malnutrition
Poverty stricken families produce an infant mortality
rate two to three times higher than middle class
families.
It was found that 94% of the infants born in good or
excellent condition were born to mothers who
maintained good or excellent diets during pregnancy.
It has been demonstrated that the intellectual
development of children is related to prenatal nutrition.

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Maternal Age and Parity

The optimal childbearing age for women is between 20
and 28 years.
Before 20 the females reproductive apparatus has not
fully matured and hormones necessary for reproduction
have not attained their full potential.
After 28 and with increasing age until menopause in
the forties, reproductive and hormonal changes
drastically increase the chances of the mother
producing miscarriages.
The mother aged 35 or older, particularly if she is
having her first child willMotimele
be in
labor an average of an
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hour and a half longer than normal.

Family Size and Intelligence

Regardless of class, socio-cultural or ethnic background,
the most intelligent children come from the smallest
families and from families where the longest time
intervals exists between births.
It is clear that woman who has five or more children
no matter what class she belongs to officially-is likely to
have children with IQ scores well below average.
According to white Psychologists, the implication
projected by these facts are clear. It is obvious that the
black intellectual potential is reduced by the black
family situation.
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Maternal Emotions
Marital problems, severe housing problems, economic problems etc
Stress on the pregnant mother can be harmful at various developmental
stages between fertilization and implantation of the ovum, harmful
enough to create abnormalities in the fetus or lead to its abortion.
Women who are not happy about their pregnancies, because pregnancy
interferes with the pattern of their lives or brings economic hardship,
often experience continued emotional tensions
Emotional stress may cause mental retardation if the hormonal
imbalance which results from that stress occurs during the time the
brain is developing.
The constant stress of being black in a racist society, the ongoing
struggle with identity problems, inferiority complexes, doubleconsciousness, the stress brought on by economic problems, marital
problems, broken homes, teenage pregnancy create a state of chronic
emotional stress in black mothers.
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Maternal Emotions
The black mother is far more likely to work late in her
pregnancy and is therefore more likely to suffer from
fatigue harmful to her child.
She is more likely to receive inadequate financial
support from the father of the child, her family, from
government grant, the black mother suffers adverse
emotional stress and strain and physical exhaustion,
thereby reducing the life-chances of her unborn child.
The absence or lack of emotional support by the babys
father or families can create a damaging Psychological
state of mind which may be behaviourally harmful both
before and after birth. Motimele Tseke

Prematurity
Prematurity a condition in which the new-born infant is relatively
unfit for extra-uterine life because of a lack of development or a
retardation in development caused by shortening of the fetal period.
Premature infants are especially vulnerable to brain damage during
birth. This is due to the fact that at birth the skull of the premature
infant is not well developed enough to shield its delicate brain
tissues from the physical stresses and pressure of the birth process.
This usually means that the premature new-born must stay longer in
the hospital and incubator, requiring intensive medical attention.
Premature children have the tendency to be more shy, more closely
to their mothers and more dependant than their full-term
counterparts.
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Race and Prematurity

The infant mortality rate for blacks is almost twice than that of
whites and this is largely due to the deaths of premature infants.
It is well established that poverty and its attendant problems
such as malnutrition, correlated positively with prematurity.
The lower the mothers socioeconomic status the greater her
chances of having a premature infant.
This is mainly due to the fact that black mothers receive less
medical attention during pregnancy than do white mothers.
It has been demonstrated that mental problems as well as
physical problems may be caused by diet and the intake of drugs
and other food additives.
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Implications and Recommendations

If the foundation is not securely anchored then the superstructure
which is built upon it will be weak, unstable and unable to fulfil the
function for which it was designed. Eg Teach Black Consciousness
Our destination is the full realization of the black potential. We
therefore recommend the following:
1. Pregnant black mothers must pay attention to Medical and
nutritional status of themselves.
2. The Prenatal health of the unborn babies must be increased.
3. Educate our mothers about the importance of prenatal period.
(Nutrition, Drugs, Medical care)
4. Educate mental health of black men and women so that a healthy
love of self-knowledge, a confidence in self, can be fully developed.
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QUESTIONS?

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