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1. Are there any specific signs by which we can know that the child is mentally retarded ? Children with mental retardation do not form a uniform group. The nature of mental retardation, its severity, and the child's ability to cope with the problem all influence how this disability is visible to an observer. However there are some specific signs and symptoms which can help in early identification of delayed development in a child (WHO, 1989):
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2. How early can one definitely tell that the child is mentally retarded ? Early Detection depends upon the severity and the nature of mental retardation
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3. What is the prevalence of the condition of mental retardation in our country ? Nearly 2% of the general population in our country is affected with mental retardation. There are presently about 168 lakhs of mentally retarded people in our country. Mental retardation can affect people from all walks of life. |
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4. Do all mentally retarded children have same problems ? All children with mental retardation are not alike. Each individual with mental retardation has unique problems based on the severity of condition and the ability to cope up with the problem. However, children with mental retardation generally have problems in:
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5. Does brain development have any links with mental retardation ?
The brain coordinates and directs various body functions. Each component of the brain controls some aspect of an individual's behavior and affects the understanding of the world around him or her. The brain not only controls involuntary movements of organs like heart, kidney but also initiate voluntary movements like walking, running and also higher order functions like thinking, reasoning, memory, etc. The abnormal development functioning of any part of brain thus makes an individual less able to adjust to the environment and give rise to various disorders, one of which is mental retardation. |
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6. Are there any drugs that can cure brain damage ? Mental retardation is an irreversible condition. The damage caused to the brain is permanent. With available knowledge and techniques for management and treatment of mental retardation, no drugs have been found to repair the damage occurred to the brain. |
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7. What are the chances of producing a mentally retarded baby if one marries within close relations ? Data reported from various clinics in the country show that in 60% of the cases identified as mentally retarded, causes can be attributed to generic disorders. Consanguineous marriages i.e. marriage between uncle-niece, nephew-aunt, first cousins or related cousins have greater chances of producing a child with generic disorders including mental retardation. In case there is already a child with mental retardation, the parents should seek genetic counseling before planning to have another child. |
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8. Is it true that the age of the mother/father/or both at the time of conception is crucial for producing a normal or a retarded baby ? Age of the mother is very important for producing a normal baby.
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9. What are the factors that contribute to mental retardation before the birth of a child ? Some of the important factors are as follows:
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10. Can we detect during pregnancy if there is something wrong with the baby ?
Several methods are now in use with pregnant mothers to obtain information about the presence or absence of abnormality in their unborn baby. These include
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11. If a woman during pregnancy suffers from frustration, failures or disappointments, what are the chances that such situation will make her more vulnerable to produce a baby with mental retardation ? Failures, frustrations and disappointments directly are not linked with producing a baby with mental retardation. However, these factors can affect indirectly. For exambpe a pregnant mother who remains sad may not eat properly which may then effect the growth of the baby. |
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12. If there were no problems during pregnancy is there still any chance that a baby will develop mental retardation at birth ?
Mental retardation can also be caused due to the following factors:
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13. Can a baby who is born normal, become mentally retarded after birth ? All the characteristics of mental retardation can appear long after birth because of infury to the brain anytime during the period of development up to 18 years of age. injury to the brain can be caused by the following factors:
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14. Can vaccination to the child lead to mental retardation ?
This particular problem is very rare following triple vaccine where the pertussis (P) component of the vaccine can cause encephalopathy. This should not deter parents from giving vaccines to the child as they protect the baby from a variety of deadly diseases. |
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15. If mental retardation basically means below average intellectual functioning, are there any drugs to increase the individual's intelligence ? There are no proved drugs so far which have stood the scientific security and claim producing increase in intelligence. If it was so, mentally retarded individuals would cease to exist in the world which is not presently so. If there were drugs available to increase intelligence the world that we live in would be quite different, filled in only by super intellectual human beings. |
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16. Would a special diet consisting of almonds, milk, pure ghee, butter improve the mental abilities of the child ? Feeding a child especially in the first tow years of life on a balanced and nutritious diet which includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, mineral salts, vitamins etc. is essential and can influence the mental as well as physical growth of the child. However, over emphasis on feeding a child only with almonds, pure ghee, butter or mild could rather prove harmful to the child. |
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17. Can mentally retarded individuals be cured completely ? Mental retardation as a condition is not curable. It is also considered permanent in the sense that once the damage to the brain has occurred, the condition is established and it is irreversible. There are, however, few conditions established and it is irreversible. There are, however, few conditions where prevention is possible. In case of mental retardation cause due to Phenylketonuria (PKU), special diet low in phenylanine is required to be taken. Mental retardation caused due to thyroid deficiency can be prevented by medical treatment, while in case of hydrocephalus, Surgical intervention can reduce the pressure in the brain by using a sound. |
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18. If there is no cure for mental retardation what should be done with this child ? Within the limitations of the disability, the child will adapt and accomplish whatever is possible, provided the opportunities for learning should be made available to the child at the earliest. The efforts of professionals working cooperatively with parents are directed at functional independence to achieve realistic goals in persons with mental retardation. So it is very essential that parents seek out services at the earliest. |
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19. How long do mentally retarded individuals live ?
Life span of individuals with mental retardation vary depending upon the cause and nature of his/her mental retardation. If a child with mental retardation has associated medical problems which are threatening in nature, such children don't live long. However with improved medical care the life span of persons with mental retardation has increased to correspond with that of a normal human being. |
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20. Are mentally retarded individuals mad ?
Individuals with mental retardation are not mad. Mental retardation is a condition which generally leads to a handicap whereas madness or mental illness is a disease. Mentally retarded children are slow in learning and development. Their mental age is bellow their actual age. For example, a seven year old mentally handicapped child may act, talk and behave at the level of a 3 year old normal child. Thus, he may show a developmental delay of 4 years. On the other hand, mentally ill or mad persons don't show any developmental delay. They may show disturbances in behavior, such as being extremely moody, withdrawn, seeing or hearing things which are not there, reduced sleep, etc. However, mentally retarded children can suffer from mental illness for which psychiatric treatment should be sought. |
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21. A deaf child and a mentally retarded child both have difficulty in talking. Are these two conditions similar ?
Although, both the deaf child and a mentally retarded child will have difficulty in taking, the conditions are not similar. A deaf child will show a delay in all the areas of development like motor, cognitive, social, language etc. |
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22. Can a mentally retarded child also have physical disability, visual or hearing problems ? A child with mental retardation can also have associated physical, visual or hearing problems. The more severe is the brain damage, the more chances are there for multiple impairments associated with mental retardation |
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23. What is cerebral palsy ?
Cerebral Palsy (CP) refers to a complex non progressive condition caused by damage to brain within first 3 years of life that produces a disability because of muscular incoordination and weakness. The word "cerebral" refers to brain and "palsy" to a disorder of movement or posture. Cerebral Palsy involves various types of impairments in gross and fine motor coordination. Most common types of Cerebral Palsy are:
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25. Does a mentally retarded child with cerebral palsy require special training ? The child with mental retardation and associated cerebral palsy will have dual set of problems. Such children will require training in activities of daily living, language and communication, socialization, functional academics and cognitive areas like other children with mental retardation. In addition, services of professionals like physiotherapist and occupational therapist will also be required for development of coordinated voluntary movements and postural training. |
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26. What is Down Syndrome ?
Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome at pair no 21. The incidence in the general population is 1 in 800 live births but the incidence increase as the age of the mother increases (1 to 50 for mothers over 45 years of age). Affected children have slanting eyes, flat noses and large tongues. Congenital heard defects and gastrointestinal malformations are common. Most of the children with Down Syndrome have mild to moderate mental retardation. |
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27. What is autism ? Autism is a rare disorder that occurs in about 4 in 10,000 children. In a child with autism, thinking, language, and behavior are all affected. The disorder is about two to four times more common in males than females. In general, autistic children have the following characteristics:
Some of the children have isolated skills e.g. they may be able to assemble complex puzzles, multiply as quickly as pocket calculators, and read the newspaper with expression but not understanding.
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28. Can children with mental retardation have autistic features ? Autistic features characterized by socially withdrawn behavior, ritualistic behaviors and delayed and deviant language can be seen in some children with mental retardation. Change of behavior may range from extreme social withdrawal to mild form. In extreme cases, it is categorized as socially inappropriate syndrome. |
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29.What is epilepsy/fits ? Epilepsy is not an illness. Epileptic fits are caused due to abnormal electrical discharge in the brain which gets generalized. Epilepsy or fits is a condition characterized by jerky movements which last usually for about 2 to 3 minutes. During this the person may remain unconscious for about 20 to 30 minutes. This type of epilepsy is called grandmal. Following the epileptic seizure, the person does not remember anything which happened during the seizure. If seizure occurs when the person is walking, driving, or cooking, the fit may begin by a fatal. Due to this fall, a person may sustain injury depending upon place and type of activity. Another type of epilepsy is called petit mal which is characterized by short absence of consciousness lasting few seconds up to a maximum of 20 seconds. Following the petitmal seizure, the person resumes the original activity. |
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30. Do all mentally retarded persons have fits ? About 10% of children with mental retardation have seizures. More severe is the degree of retardation, more are the chances of having epilepsy. The convulsions may start right at birth or develop later. If not managed, seizures can cause harm to the individual with mental retardation like:
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31. Can fits be controlled ? Medical treatment must be taken for controlling seizures. Other treatment approaches include special diets, called ketogenic diet and surgery. Some commonly used drugs as follows:
Parents should seek advice of medical doctors for seizure control. The exact dosage of drugs and combination of drugs must be taken regularly as prescribed by the doctor. Treatment is generally long term and continues for 3-4 years even after the seizures have stopped.
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32. Why is that even when the child is having medicines for a long time, yet fits are continuing? Possible reasons that fits are persisting in spite of medications which are as follows:
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33. Is giving medicines for fits for a long period of time will harm the child ? Many persons with mental retardation on long term medications for seizures face risks of side effects of the drugs used for controlling fits/seizures. Some of the side effects of the commonly used medications for controlling its are like laziness, hyperactivity, rash and liver damage, but reversible mostly. However, regular use of antiepileptic drugs for control is a must for normal functioning in all type of situations despite side effects. |
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34. The birth of a mentally retarded child produces immense pressures to all the family members. Do all families having such children experience the same ? The birth of a child whether disabled or non-disabled is known to produce pressure since it includes adjustments and extra responsibilities for various members of the family. However, birth of a mentally retarded child does produce greater pressure on the family because of extra demands of child care, greater financial burden and above all the worry and tension that the child is not normal. |
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