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Mental retardation Causes and Risks:
Causes of mental retardation are numerous, but a specific reason for mental retardation is determined in only 25% of the cases.
Failure to adapt normally and grow intellectually may become apparent early in life or, in the case of mild retardation, not become recognizable until school age or later. An assessment of age-appropriate adaptive behaviors can be made by the use of developmental screening tests. The failure to achieve developmental milestones is suggestive of mental retardation.
A family may suspect mental retardation if motor skills, language skills, and self-help skills do not seem to be developing in a child or are developing at a far slower rate than the child's peers. The degree of impairment from mental retardation has a wide range from profoundly impaired to borderline retardation. Risk factors are related to the causes. Mental retardation affects an estimated 1 to 3% of the population.
Causes of mental retardation can be roughly broken down into several categories: - unexplained (This category is the largest and a catchall for undiagnosed incidences of mental retardation.)
- trauma (prenatal and postnatal)
- infectious (congenital and postnatal)
- chromosomal abnormalities
- errors of chromosome numbers ( Down's syndrome , and so on)
- defects in the chromosome (fragile X syndrome)
- chromosomal translocations (a gene is located in an unusual spot on a chromosome, or location on a different chromosome than usual)
- Klinefelter's syndrome
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- cri du chat syndrome
- genetic abnormalities and inherited metabolic disorders
- metabolic
- toxic
- nutritional
- environmental
- poverty
- low socioeconomic status
Prevention:
Prenatal screening for genetic defects and genetic counseling for families at risk for certain defects can decrease the incidence of genetically caused mental retardation.
Symptoms:
- failure to meet intellectual developmental markers
- persistence of infantile behavior
- lack of curiosity
- decreased learning ability
- inability to meet educational demands of school
Note: Deviations in normal adaptive behaviors depend on the severity of the condition. Mild retardation may be associated with a lack of curiosity and quiet behavior. Severe mental retardation is associated with infantile behavior throughout life.
Signs and Tests:
- a score below 70 on a standardized IQ test
- adaptive behavior score
- abnormal Denver developmental screening test
Treatment:
The primary goal of treatment is to develop the person's potential to the fullest. Special education and training may begin as early as infancy. This includes social skills to help the person function as normally as possible.
It is important for a specialist to evaluate the person for coexisting affective disorders and treat those disorders. Behavioral approaches are important in understanding and working with mentally retarded individuals.
Prognosis:
The outcome is related to the aggressiveness of treatment, personal motivation, opportunity, and associated conditions. Many people lead productive lives while functioning independently; others require a structured environment to be most successful.
Complications:
Complications vary. They may include: - social isolation
- inability to care for self
- inabilty to interact with others appropriately
Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call your health care provider if you have any concerns about your child's development, if you notice a lack of normal development with motor or language skills in a child, or if there are associated disorders that need treatment.
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