Mentally retarded or intellectual disorders:

Mentally retarded or intellectual disorders:

People with intellectual disabilities can and do learn new skills, but they learn them more slowly.

Definition

Mental retardation (MR) is a developmental disability that first appears in children under the age of 18.

It is defined as a level of intellectual functioning (as measured by standard intelligence tests ) that is well below average and results in significant limitations in the person's daily living skills (adaptive functioning).

Levels of Mental Retardation

·        Mild Mental Retardation: IQ level 50-55 to approximately 70.

·        Moderate Mental Retardation: IQ level 35-40 to 50-55.

·        Severe Mental Retardation: IQ level 20-25 to 35-40.

·        Profound Mental Retardation: IQ level below 20 or 25.

Symptoms

·         failure to meet intellectual standards

·         sitting, crawling, or walking later than other children

·         problems learning to talk or trouble speaking clearly

·         memory problems

·         inability to understand the consequences of actions

·         inability to think logically

·         childish behavior inconsistent with the child’s age

·         lack of curiosity

·         learning difficulties,IQ below 70

·         inability to lead a normal life due to challenges communicating,

·         taking care of themselves, or interacting with others.

Causes : The most common causes of intellectual disability are:

Genetic conditions. These include things like Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome.

Problems during pregnancy. Things that can interfere with fetal brain development include alcohol or drug use, malnutrition, certain infections, or preeclampsia.

Problems during childbirth. Intellectual disability may result if a baby is deprived of oxygen during childbirth or born extremely premature.

Illness or injury. Infections like meningitis, whooping cough, or the measles can lead to intellectual disability. Severe head injury, near-drowning, extreme malnutrition, infections in the brain, exposure to toxic substances such as lead, and severe neglect or abuse can also cause it.

Prevention:

Certain causes of intellectual disability are preventable. The most common of these is fetal alcohol syndrome. Pregnant women shouldn’t drink alcohol. Getting proper prenatal care, taking a prenatal vitamin, and getting vaccinated against certain infectious diseases can also lower the risk that your child will be born with intellectual disabilities.In families with a history of genetic disorders, genetic testing may be recommended before conception.

Certain tests, such as ultrasound and amniocentesis, can also be performed during pregnancy to look for problems associated with intellectual disability. Although these tests may identify problems before birth, they cannot correct them.

Immunization against diseases such as measles and Hib prevents many of the illnesses that can cause mental retardation. In addition, all children should undergo routine developmental screening as part of their pediatric care. Screening is particularly critical for those children who may be neglected or undernourished or may live in disease-producing conditions. Newborn screening and immediate treatment for PKU and hyperthyroidism can usually catch these disorders early enough to prevent retardation.