The current strife in Kosovo has thousands fleeing for refugee camps. Julie Peteet says women tend to be responsible for their families in refugee camps. Husbands often are at war or are grappling with their inability to support their families after being forced from jobs.
Families are less likely to help financially because resources are stretched too thin.
Women also are extremely vulnerable to sexual assault, since prosecution is unlikely and women often are reluctant to tell their stories, Peteet says. Massage therapy promotes health, growth in preemies Babies born early can face a host of medical problems. Nursing instructor Rosalie Mainous says doctors have known for years that premature babies benefit from being held. Research now suggests that infants who are massaged gain weight faster and are able to leave the hospital earlier. Mainous stresses that the health care professional massaging the baby should be on the lookout for warning signs that the contact may hurt.