Depression-Doctor.com: Depression Quiz

Treat Depression Naturally - Learn How!

Causes of Mental Retardation

Mental retardation is a child’s inability to learn basic motor and language skills. This is usually a condition that is diagnosed before the age of eighteen. Mental retardation occurs in approximately three percent of the population. Mental retardation is defined when an individual has an IQ of below 70-75.

Causes of Mental Retardation
They are many causes of mental retardation. They can be placed into four major categories.

1. Genetic Conditions- Individuals with severe mental retardation are likely to have this due to a genetic condition. Children inherit genetic information from both of their parents. There are three common types of inheritance genes: dominant, recessive and X-linked, based on the genes you inherit it will dedicate your likelihood of developing this disorder.

In a dominant mode one parent has a dominant disease gene which causes a genetic abnormality even when combined with healthy genes. This means a child has a fifty percent change of developing mental retardation. With recessive genes, this happens when both of parents of a child have a disease gene, but they show no outward signs of having the disease. These parents don’t know that they are even carriers of the disease until the birth of the affected child. Parents who are carriers, their children have a twenty-five percent change of inheriting both disease genes and being inflicted with mental retardation. With X-linked genes, these are associated with the X-chromosome, and it can be X-linked recessive or X-linked dominant. This happens when an unaffected mother carriers a disease causing gene on one of her X chromosomes, remember females have two X chromosomes. If a mother has a female child, the child has a fifty percent chance of inheriting the disease and be a carrier. If the mother has a male child, he has a fifty percent chance of inheriting the disease causing gene, and actually developing the disease because he only has one X-chromosome.

2. Issues during pregnancy- Children born with mental retardation may have developed this disorder due to something that the mother might have done while pregnant. If the mother used drugs or drank alcohol during pregnancy it can lead to mental retardation. Smoking has also shown some evidence also of being a cause of mental retardation. Other factors to watch out for when pregnant are environmental toxins, rubella, syphilis and toxoplasmosis.

3. Issues at birth- During birth if a baby’s oxygen supply is cut off for some reason they could consequently be born with mental retardation. Also, if is a child is born prematurely or with a low birth rate those are also factors that make a baby a candidate for issue of mental retardation.

4. Health Problems- They are many childhood illnesses that can lead to mental retardation. These include measles, chicken pox, meningitis and whooping cough. Lead, mercury, and other toxins can cause damage to a child’s brain and nervous system. Children that grow up in poverty are at a higher risk for malnutrition and childhood diseases, making them more susceptible to developing forms of mental retardation.

In order for parents to reduce the chances of having a child be born with mental retardation, they need to review both parent’s medical histories, and a complete family history. They need to make sure that you review everything with your doctor. The mother before and during pregnancy should follow a prenatal plan, taking supplements and following doctors orders. Women should also stop the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and illegal and legal drugs. Legal drugs will have to be discussed and approved by your doctor.

Once a child is born, parents will have to be diligent and make sure that they immunized against childhood illnesses, and that you reduce their exposure to environmental toxins. Also, in order to avoid certain types of brain damage, make sure that your child has a bicycle helmet on when they ride their bikes. Making sure that they are in their safety seats and use seat belts will prevent injury while in a car. Taking this extra precaution will help parents reduce the risk of having a child born with mental retardation or having it a child develop it due to some other factors. The best way for parents to deal with the situation is to be armed with the information that makes them more aware.

Learn how to treat depression immediately and naturally!

Learning Disability

Types of Learning Disabilities

Cri Du Chat Syndrome

Down's Syndrome

Edward's Syndrome

Fragile X Syndrome

Homocystinuria

Hurler Syndrome

Mental Retardation

Mental Retardation Causes

Mild Mental Retardation

Patau's Syndrome

Phenylketonuria

Tay Sachs Disease