The Major Causes of Mental Retardation - Term Paper Example

Introduction Mental retardation is a category of disability in a total of 13. People usually take this term to be offensive but it is what most Acts or legislations term the condition. Other terms like mental development or disability have been adopted in covering for retardation. Mental retardation is taken to be a disorder where one exhibits in a huge extent, sub-average cognitive abilities accompanied by deficits in two or more adaptive behaviours and where the individual’s IQ score is less than 70 (AAMR 2002). It manifests itself before, during or after birth till one reaches the age of eighteen years. Several causes of mental retardation in individuals have been discovered, however a third of the affected, the causes are not clearly unknown. The major causes of mental retardation have been identified and they are foetal alcohol syndrome, Down syndrome and fragile X. This paper aims at uncovering the causes as well as the effects of mental retardation. It will outline all of them and elaborate on each (Smith 287). History of mental retardation Mental retardation has been with humanity for a long time and in the ancient times in Europe and the America these people used to be outcasts and heavily discriminated against. They were labelled, diseased organisms, possessed or even sub-humans. As the names depict they were people whose illness was not quite well understood and little study had been carried out to actually unveil the mystery behind their condition or predicament. It is in the 18th century that their plight was first brought in the limelight by French Encyclopaedists who endeavoured to uplift the lives of the disadvantaged in the society. This direction later took root in the US in the early 19th century and introduced by Samuel G. Howe. Later in New York legislation was passed that saw special educational facilities being established. At this time many places across the globe were practicing euthanasia where the retarded children were killed; Germany is an example where the practice had been entrenched even in the medical profession. The 20th century saw the medical fraternity shift their take on this condition and its sufferers and many researches were carried out aiming at coming up with facts that underlie the phenomenon. In 1945 there started to have admissions of these children to State Schools; a big step forward in laying the foundation of helping these children and their parents. New York had many schools of this nature but the resources and facilities available could not support the demand and many children were still going to normal schools or not attending school at all (15). Across America were also some private schools that started offering educational services to mentally retarded children. In Brooklyn there was the Parkside School and Kolburn School in Connecticut as examples. Still in early 20th century parents with such children started forming groups countrywide for example The Council of Retarded Children in Ohio in 1932 (17). Causes and effects As earlier highlighted mental disability has many causes but are categorised into three. The causes are foetal alcohol syndrome, down syndrome and fragile X. However, other categorisations are documented e.g. the one that divided the causes into four groups. The first one is that of biological causes followed by toxins exposure and infections, injuries and lastly socio-economic as well as environmental factors (Smith 287). However, the American association on mental retardation categorises the causes into three distinct groups namely the prenatal, perinatal and the postnatal group. Prenatal causes These causes manifest themselves before the birth of a child. They are mostly chromosomal disorders and they include; genetic conditions that area as a result of having abnormal genes which are hereditary, emanate from errors in gene combination or other gene disorders caused by infections, x-rays etc. PKU i.e. phenylketonuria which is as a result of metabolism errors that are inborn falls under this group. Others are fragile X and Down syndrome under the genetic causes (AAMR 2002). Toxins are also other causes under prenatal causes and these mostly affect the unborn child as a result of the mother’s exposure to them. Toxins can be in form of alcohol, use of drugs while pregnant and tobacco. The other cause under prenatal is the neural tube disorders and they are Anencephaly which is a condition characterised by the having the child’s brain parts missing at birth and Spina bifida whereby the spinal column is not fully closed at birth. Perinatal causes These are involved with problems encountered during birth. Under this category, low baby weight and premature birth pose a serious threat to a baby’s future cognitive well being. Injuries are also a phenomenon not to overlook at this juncture as some injuries may result from deprivation of oxygen, accidents that damage the umbilical cord as well as head and obstetrical trauma. Postnatal causes These are the causes of mental retardation after the child is born. Ailments like chicken pox, whooping cough, Hib disease and measles can damage the brain if contracted by the child. This is because they result to encephalitis and meningitis; two conditions known to damage the brain a great deal (Smith 289). Environmental factors are also major contributors to this category for example toxins, child neglect and abuse and accidents. Of the above factors mentioned this paper shall move further to explore deeper into each sub-causes and their effects. Genetic causes These are also referred to as chromosomal causes out of chromosomal abnormalities while at other times taken to be single gene disorders. More than 500 of the genetic causes are associated with biological conditions. Taking an example of fragile X syndrome, it is found in 1991 that it is as a result of mutation of chromosome X. It is actually the most commonly known cause under this category. Another problem that is common is recurrent otitis media which is as a result of an infection in the middle of the ear (George et al 1999). Therefore, those who suffer from this type often exhibit hearing problems and their attention span is notably short. These individuals with fragile X often show coexisting autism while others use repetitive speech patterns. The other genetic cause is Down syndrome which occurs as a result of an individual having too many or too few chromosomes in their genetic make-up. Trisomy 21 is the most common of all whereby the 21st chromosome set has three chromosomes whereas the normal situation is having a pair. Down syndrome can be arrested if its symptoms are identified early enough. Of importance to note is the fact that people with Down syndrome have less adaptation behaviour challenges unlike their counterparts with other mental disabilities (Smith 289). However, they also exhibit intellectual disabilities in almost the same degree with the rest. They are also prone to developing obese characteristics and this result in them reducing their food intake resulting in less activity. The other is phenylketonuria whose cause is a result of both environmental factors and the genes. There is failure by the body to metabolise phenylalanine which builds up in the body resulting into brain damage. Toxins These are the various poisons that are found in the environment. They cause mental retardation in prenatal as well as postnatal periods. Conditions like learning disabilities as well as Attention Deficit hypersensitivity Disorder are believed to be caused by toxin in our environment. The good side with toxins is that it is possible to eliminate most of them from the atmosphere thereby reducing the chances of children becoming affected (Zolinda et al 1993). Foetal alcohol Syndrome fall under this category and it is as a result of mothers taking too much alcohol while pregnant. Low birth weight It has been documented that children who are born being less that 2 pounds are unlikely to survive. Low birth weight is mostly as a result of poor prenatal care and poverty. Low birth weight predisposes these children to mental retardation and they are quite susceptible to ailments. Child abuse and neglect Children who undergo abuse usually exhibit low IQs and are usually less responsive to cognitive stimuli. There is a link between the cognitive ability of a child and child abuse. However, the reasons that are behind this impairment are not that clear. Conclusion It is therefore clear that mental retardation is a world wide phenomenon that affects many children. Some of the causes of this retardation can be avoided for example mothers desisting smoking and drinking habits, while others are hereditary and where the only remedy is trying to tame the condition from progressing (Smith 291). Good environment free from harmful toxins is also important as well as good nutrition for both the mother and the child. Works cited American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR), Mental Retardation: Definition, Classification, and Systems of Supports. American Association on Mental Retardation, 2002 George, S. Baroff, J. and Gregory, Olley. Mental Retardation: Nature, Cause, and Management. Psychology Press, 1999. Smith, D. D. Introduction to Special Education: Making a Difference. 2007. 286-292. Zolinda, Stoneman, Phyllis, Berman W. and Paul, H. The Effects of Mental Retardation, Disability, and Illness on Sibling Relationships: Research Issues and Challenges. Brookes Pub. Co. 1993. Read More