Mental retardation in children: Manifestation and treatment

Intellectual retardation in children is always a worry of parents. The following information will help you recognize early signs of understanding and find effective treatment for your baby.

Recently, in the program "The 7th Wish", the story of actor Quoc Tuan's journey to help his son (baby Bôm) get rid of the dangerous disease has really moved millions of Vietnamese hearts, especially separate from those who have been and are parents.

Every parent wants their children to develop healthy and normal. However, if your child has mental retardation, what should you do to help them overcome? Instead of being sad and feeling inferior, you can completely accompany your child to overcome this problem.

What is mental retardation?

Mental retardation is a disability in brain development and usually occurs in children under 18 years of age. These babies often have some limitations on brain function and other abilities such as conversation, self-care, social behavior ...

In addition, children also have a low intelligence index (IQ) and often cannot control their aggressive behaviors. Therefore, the baby is easily agitated by simple situations.

Classification of diseases

Mental retardation is divided into 4 levels:

Mild intellectual retardation

About 80% of babies with mental retardation fall into this category.

A child's IQ usually ranges from 50 to 75 and they can attend primary school.

Babies who encounter this disability usually take a long time to learn communication skills. However, with the right education, children can completely communicate well with others.

Some common characteristics are that children have difficulty with writing and reading, and they are unable to make decisions.

When growing up, children can become independent with the support of family and community.

Moderate mental retardation

About 10% of children with dementia fall into this category.

Children's IQ is from 35 to 55.

Children can perform personal tasks such as bathing, eating and going to the toilet with guidance from parents.

Children can learn to write, read and count the basics.

Children learn quite slowly but can still do some simple tasks.

As children grow up, they often live in community centers under supervision and supervision.

Severe mental retardation

About 3-5% of children with mental retardation fall into this group with an IQ of 20-40.

Children can learn some basic skills for self-care and communication skills.

As children grow up, they can live in supervised group homes.

Exceptional mental retardation (very severe)

Only 1-2% of children with mental retardation fall into this group.

The child's IQ is below 20-25.

Children can learn basic communication skills and self-care skills with adult support.

Children with nerve damage and need constant monitoring and help.

The cause of this disease

There are many causes leading to this condition, but up to 60% of them have not yet identified the cause. Here are some of the most common:

Genetic

About 30% of children with mental retardation are inherited.

In this case, abnormal anomalies are passed from a parent to the child and cause a disability.

Phenylketoneuria (a metabolic disorder) also causes intellectual disability.

Parents

Alcohol poisoning syndrome is a common cause of mental retardation.

During the first trimester of pregnancy , if a woman takes drugs or drinks alcohol, the baby can be born with this syndrome. Researchers have also shown that moderate alcohol consumption can also cause this syndrome.

In addition, smoking is strongly associated with mental retardation.

If the mother suffers from diseases such as rubella , toxoplasma infection, a disorder of the milk gland, or is infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV), the fetus is at risk of falling into mental retardation.

During pregnancy, if you have high blood pressure, blood flow to your baby will be disturbed, leading to abnormal development of the fetus.

Some birth defects can also affect an infant's head and central nervous system, leading to mental retardation.

If a baby has a neural tube defect it can also lead to this.

Injury or illness

Some childhood illnesses such as chickenpox, measles, whooping cough and hyperthyroidism can also lead to mental retardation if not treated well.

Diseases associated with brain infections such as meningitis or encephalitis can also damage the brain, causing mental retardation.

Brain injury caused by traffic accident or falling from above can also be the culprit causing mental retardation.

Environmental factors

During pregnancy, if you do not provide enough nutrients to the body, the fetus will not be able to develop fully. From there, the child may experience mental retardation.

Children who are malnourished, children facing abuse, living in poor or unhealthy conditions, and not getting adequate health care are also at risk.

Too much exposure to harmful chemicals like lead or mercury also causes mental retardation

Symptoms of mental retardation

Some of the common symptoms of this condition include:

Children do not reach normal developmental milestones

Can sit, walk or crawl quite late

Don't say it clearly

Can't memorize

Can't understand simple things

Can't think logically

Have a hard time studying

Behave like a child to some even grown-up

Can't decide for himself

Difficulty learning basic skills like dressing, going out or eating.

Children with mental retardation may also have some of the following behaviors:

Dependent

combative

Psychosis

Stubborn

Injury to yourself

Difficulty in social behavior

Can't control yourself

Having trouble paying attention, concentrating

Unconfident

Passive

Low stamina.

Characteristics of children with intellectual delay

Difficulty in learning and poor cognitive function are common features of children with intellectual disabilities. These children often have poor memory, have difficulty concentrating and learn more slowly than other children.

Poor memory

Children with intellectual disabilities often find it difficult to remember information such as names, phone numbers and small details.

Depending on the child's developmental delay, memory capacity will also be affected.

Children with mental retardation have a short-term memory and often fail to remember simple events that happened a few seconds or minutes ago.

Study slowly

Learning new skills and knowledge in children with mental retardation is often slower than in healthy children.

Children need parental help to do everyday activities.

Parents need to repeat the instructions over and over until the child understands.

Can not concentrate

Children with mental retardation are often weak and cannot focus at all.

Due to poor attention span, children cannot learn higher as they grow up.

Lack of interest

Developmental delay children often have no interest in problem solving.

Due to repeated failures, children often lose hope and do not like to participate in social activities.

Diagnose mental retardation

There are many underlying causes of this condition such as:

If it is due to a metabolic or genetic disorder, your doctor may recommend a number of tests including urine tests, blood tests, imaging (to diagnose brain structure problems) or an EEG (EEG) to diagnose the symptoms of epilepsy.

If your child has a physical delay or learning skills, the doctor will perform medical tests to diagnose hearing problems or epilepsy.

Treatment of mental retardation

Children with intellectual disabilities should be enrolled in special schools. This learning should begin at 3 months and there will be some early intervention at school. The content is mainly to provide children with some basic skills in life such as eating, recognition of letters and numbers and communication skills. Some social and extracurricular activities also help children feel more confident.

Depending on the degree to which children can attend different programs. Children with mild symptoms may be supported to live independently and to do some simple tasks. Moderate to very severe children, meanwhile, have to live in community centers under supervision and supervision.

Parents also take some measures at home to improve this condition. You should create a friendly and cozy environment for your children to have more courage and encouragement.

Prevent mental retardation

Here are some helpful tips to help protect children from intellectual disability:

You should fully vaccinate your child to avoid getting dangerous infectious diseases such as measles, chickenpox ... Some infectious diseases can affect brain function and lead to mental retardation.

Children need to have developmental screening tests performed by a pediatrician. This screening will help treat malnutrition to ensure that the child is provided with adequate nutrition for development.

Correct prenatal care also helps protect children from mental retardation. During pregnancy, do not use drugs and alcohol. In addition, a healthy lifestyle must be maintained to ensure the health of the fetus. Besides, when pregnant, you should have periodic prenatal check-ups to make sure your baby is growing healthy.

Problems faced by parents of children with intellectual disabilities

Caring for and educating a child with a retardation requires health and emotional strength. These children need to be given more attention to basic needs such as care, health, daily support, and educational responsibility.

Parents of children with mental retardation often experience trauma such as depression, hopelessness, and depression. Difficulties in raising a child with an intellectual disability can lead them to turn to alcohol and drugs.

Parents often feel exhausted because they have to work too hard to meet all the essential needs of their children. Children cannot do personal everyday tasks on their own, so parents always have to help.

Parents of children with developmental delay also face complex problems related to their children's learning.

Raising a child with mental retardation can be much more expensive than raising a healthy child.

What can parents do to help children with mental retardation?

Here are some tips to help you raise a child with a delay:

Find out information about intellectual disability through a variety of sources to learn about the most effective parenting practices.

Encourage your child to try new things in life. Never scold when your child does something bad. You should encourage your child's independence and let him learn new skills slowly. Give your child the necessary instructions. If your child does well, praise and encourage them. This will help motivate your child to do these activities.

Involve your child in other activities such as singing, dancing, or drawing. This can help improve social skills.

Always keep an eye on children's lives and their progress at school.

Join a community or group of parents in similar backgrounds. Meet these parents and you can get the best advice and emotional support.

Learn about different strategies that can help you manage your child's behavior, including chat, reward ...

Build a strong relationship with your child.

Pay attention to your child's aggressive behavior. If possible, bring your child to a specialist to help him overcome feelings of anger, frustration, and pride in himself.

Hopefully the above information will help you have a better view of the disease to promptly prevent and treat your baby.