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What are the causes of mental retardation
It is impossible to propose “some conventional reasons for mental retardation” that can be applied to every case of mental retardation.
Mental retardation or deficit is an individual condition that should be handled as a separate case. However, the features of mentally retarded or disabled persons, in addition to his I.Q, might be beneficial in the overall diagnosis of such instances. The knowledge of the probable causes may also help in this direction.
These causes can be listed as under:
- Factors operative at the time of conception: Mental retardation may be caused by certain faulty genes in one or both parents’ chromosomes at the time of conception.
- Factors operative inside the womb of the mother: When the kid is in the mother’s womb for around 9 months, an unsuitable and insufficient intra-uterine environment might cause mental retardation. Some of the variables that may contribute to mental deficiency include the mother’s abnormal emotional and mental states during pregnancy, her severe sickness and persistent infections, and inadequacies in nourishment that a human embryo obtains from the mother’s blood stream.
- Factors operative at the time of delivery: It is conceivable that too little or too much labour or the use of artificial devices during delivery will result in brain damage to the kid. Such head traumas frequently result in mental impairment.
- Post natal factors (Factors operative from birth to death): In addition to the causes mentioned above, mental deficiency may be caused by the following post natal factors:
- Head injuries due to accidents.
- Infections and chronic diseases in early childhood.
- Food deficiency and malnutrition.
- Socio-cultural and educational deprivation.
- Emotional malajdustment and mental conflicts.
