Developmental Disabilities Information
Developmental disabilities is a term used to describe any physical or mental disability a person develops until the age of eighteen. Mental disabilities that are formed are most certainly followed by health problems that can vary from heart disease to obesity.
Not all cases are the same however. The term describes those disabilities that make the person unable to function in everyday situations. The patient is unable to live as an independent individual, has learning problems and mobility problems. These problems should be severe and last long. For instance a broken leg that makes the person unable to move and work for a month is not a developmental disability. Disabilities can be severe, moderate and mild.
About one percent of the population suffers from developmental disabilities and although the percentage is higher in developing countries mostly due to malnutrition, the U.S. also has many patients. Causes of the situation concern problems during pregnancy and abnormalities shown in the early stages of life, but are not limited to these. A premature birth may cause developmental disabilities as the organs may not have developed.
Drug use and alcohol intake is proven to cause disabilities as well as smoking. Severe infection during pregnancy or birth or even after birth and brain damage during or after birth are also possible causes of developmental disabilities.
Other causes can be poor health care and poor nutrition of the infant. Other causes are abnormalities in genes and child abuse. Another thing you should watch for is development of Kernicterus in the first hours of the baby’s life. All babies that are in the hospital are monitored for Kernicterus by nurses, but you should be able to understand the signs as well. Take the baby to the doctor immediately if the baby is too yellow with the coloring starting from the head and spreading all over the body, cannot wake up or cannot go to sleep, is not eating and is unusually nervous.
If the baby is arched in a bow like position with the head and toes backwards and the body forward or has irregular and strange eye movements, go to the hospital immediately.
Treatment for developmental disabilities comes according to the type and severity of the disability. An evaluation stage is usually done and the type of treatment is then decided. Most treatments include special learning programs where the patient has the chance to learn simple things that will help him in real life, occupational therapy, speech therapy and certain activities that can also be beneficial. The sooner the person gets involved in a program, the better chances he has to be able to learn new things and ways to communicate and move around and so it will be easier to be independent.
Surgery can also be done in situations that it is needed as health problems should be addressed in order for the patient to progress to the rest of the treatment. A loving environment that the patient can feel safe and be given the care he needs can also play an important role in the way he progresses in his life.
Brent McNutt really enjoys socializing and networking with healthcare professionals online and also likes talking about Urbane Scrubs and baby phat scrubs and also likes writing articles about various topics.
