Mental retardation: what it is, types and treatment

Nature is sometimes great, sometimes unfair. But in its own way it gives us special touches, whether to face life with our own disabilities or even to be better people despite certain differences.

In this sense, mental retardation is a delicate but extremely special subject, because beyond the different qualities and the people who suffer from it, it is also true that they possess the most special and intellectual human capacities.

In this article, you will learn about mental retardation, what are the types of retardation that exist and what treatments are recommended to help those who suffer from it, promising a stable and bearable life.

What is mental retardation?

There are many definitions of mental retardation (MR) or mental retardation, but one of the most accurate is thanks to theUniversity of Costa Rica, defining it as “the condition of a mentally deficient individual, one unable to carry out an independent social adaptation, due to incomplete mental development”.

In this sense, mental retardation occurs with varied causes during the development of an embryo, either genetically, by the environment and other unknown circumstances. It can last for many years or a lifetime.

Also, mental retardation is divided into different degrees, which affect in different ways the mental functioning of a person, ranging from mild, moderate, severe and profound.

What develops and is detected from birth or childhood, mental retardation is also identified by an IQ less than 70, although cases may vary of disability that exists.

Causes of mental retardation

There are many factors that can cause mental retardation, most of them do not occur during birth, it can even be during childhood and growth, caused by external agents. These are some of the main causes of mental retardation.

Chromosomal alterations

Chromosomal loss or alterations are one of the main causes of mental retardation, given naturally.

It is produced by an error during the formation of the oocyte or the sperm itself, this type of probabilities are greater in pregnant women of advanced age.

There are two main types of these alterations: monosomy, which is the loss of one chromosome, and trisomy, where there are three specific copies of a chromosome.

Congenital diseases

They are congenital diseases, those that affect an individual more seriously, in their structure, physical functions and even metabolism.

All of this occurs during the birth process, resulting in physical malformations, mental disabilities, and death.

Its numerous causes vary due to the environment, genetic factors, lack of care during pregnancy and other unknown factors.

Bacterial or viral infections

Mental retardation is also a consequence of unknown diseases or viruses and dangerous bacteria, from birth or daily life of a person. Housed in various residences within the organs of the human body.

Among these diseases there is meningitis, which according to the website of the Center for Disease Control (CDC)) “Meningitis infection can result in permanent disabilities (such as brain damage, hearing loss and learning difficulties).”

metabolic alterations

Metabolic disorders are those that affect the functioning of a person’s metabolism (of the body and the process of breaking down food).

It is mostly hereditary and is recognized by the accumulation of certain enzymes that cannot be broken down, little or no enzyme, or the lack of chemical substances. This causes many symptoms such as tiredness, lack of hunger, coma and delayed development, the latter being rather a consequence.

Nutritional deficiencies

Nutritional deficiencies are caused by a diet that is very low in nutrients that the body requires, it can also be the consequence of a chronic disease, causing nutrients to be lost (it shares causes with metabolic alterations).

In fact, public health web pages such as Health Channel , guided by the honcode that establishes the main topics on health care on the Internet, mention this as “deficiencies that are detected due to a lack of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals, the most common being iron, vitamin D and iodine.

Therefore, mental retardation and anemia may be a consequence of nutritional deficiency.

trauma

Traumatisms are accidents that can happen to anyone of all ages.

They are injuries or physical injuries suffered by a person’s internal organs, including tissues, due to sudden blows in sports, work situations or at home.

These situations are capable of producing trauma, sometimes mild, other times serious, capable of generating mental retardation or physical disabilities.

Exposure to toxins

There are multiple toxins that when entering the system, can alter it in many ways, creating physical malformations, genetics and sometimes deteriorating important organs such as thebrain.

There are many in the environment such as endotoxins or exotoxins, which affect thenervous systemand cellular functions. Other types of toxins, such as tar, carbon monoxide and ammonium, are found in cigarettes and are harmful to a person’s body.

Types of mental retardation

There are different degrees of mental retardation, as well as different aspects that identify them, it is important to know them to know the treatments, factors and symptoms to distinguish, if someone suffers from it. The types of retardation are also known by the degree of intelligence quotient, which a person with mental retardation can have.

Slight delay

The slight retardation is for those people with an IQ of 50 to 69, therefore these people can acquire language and daily expression late, but they can perform very practical tasks, personal care and develop an impeccable emotional maturity .

Although they may present difficulties in school activities, it is also true that everything may depend on the support and education provided to them. They have enough autonomy.

moderate delay

The intelligence quotient of a moderate retardation ranges from 35 to 49. It is considered moderate, since people show slower development of comprehension and command of language.

In this sense, daily life is less easy to carry, having difficulties to socialize, express themselves or take care of themselves. A type of moderate retardation exists in autism or epilepsy. It is strange and unusual if they tend to feel autonomous.

severe retardation

Severe retardation occurs when the IQ is very low, from 20 to 34, a lesser ability to develop ideal language. As well as having serious disorders or low levels of development in the nervous system.

Deep delay

It is the type of mental retardation where the IQ is less than 20, very low for a person’s intellectual development.

People with this type of delay have limited abilities to develop and care for their basic needs, understand and analyze situations.

They require daily and strict attention, in addition this delay also affects mobility, making it slower and more restricted, where a person can not even control their sphincters.

Treatment for mental retardation

A person suffering from mental retardation requires care and various treatments, in order to provide a stable and very bearable life, due to the problems that may arise, these are the types of treatments.

Behavioral therapy

They are those therapies that help control behavior, based on its principles.

Said therapy has positive results for cases of mental retardation or other mental disorders such as phobias, panic and compulsive obsession. For this, numerous techniques are used and the molding of a new behavior.

Special education

It is the type of education that exists for people with mental retardation or, more respectfully, with special disabilities.

As recommended by UNESCO , mentioned on its own page “Countries should be supported in their efforts to integrate children with certain difficulties in the learning process, through the implementation of guidelines and tools, teacher training and the use of ICT in education”.

Zootherapy

Also known as Animal Assisted Therapy, it is that type of therapy where animals (dogs, horses, cats and even dolphins) are used for therapeutic purposes.

In such therapies, a strong bond and affection is produced between the patient and the animal (which they can adopt as a pet), which reinforces feelings, thinking and responsibility in a person with mental retardation (such as autism).

Physical activities

The exercises are very healthy and it is a challenge to prove that a person wants to make an effort and be stronger, both physically and mentally. Within the sports world (md) this is a great help.

Some physical activities may include sports such as volleyball, soccer, or basketball. This can be used both at home (which works with the family) or even at school, where a person with mental retardation can socialize and test their abilities.

Family support

The family is a key piece to reinforce the self- esteem , happiness and mental stability of a person with mental retardation.

In this sense, family support produces many results if it is carried out in a positive way, be it socialization, communication and opinions on other people’s issues.

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How can mental retardation be avoided?

Mental retardation can be prevented from the moment of pregnancy and during daily life, there are many factors in the environment or in a social space that we must know, to keep a distance from it and prolong our mental health.

Maintain timely prenatal control

These are annual visits to the doctor, during the pregnancy stage. They are in an excellent position to assess the condition of the fetus or baby. Where ultrasound scans, blood tests, blood pressures among other means are done, everything to determine the health of the baby and the pregnancy process.

The WHO (World Health Organization) establishes that “prenatal care represents a platform to carry out important health care functions, such as health promotion, diagnosis, and disease prevention.”

Consuming folic acid during pregnancy

Folic acid is very nutritious for a fetus or baby in formation, during the stage of pregnancy.

A woman should consume foods with folic acid, to prevent cognitive defects in the newborn’s brain. It is also found in foods such as green leafy vegetables (spinach , arugula or lettuce).

Avoid toxic substances during pregnancy

A pregnant woman should stay away from various toxic substances, such as those found in cigarettes (a dangerous trend that has many warnings) since they contain cyanide, tar (a substance from petroleum), carbon monoxide, or lead.

Even if a woman does not smoke, smoke from other smokers can affect her when she breathes it in, causing irreversible damage to the fetus.

Avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy

A pregnant woman should also avoid the consumption of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, among others), since this comes directly through the umbilical cord and can have multiple consequences in addition to mental retardation, spontaneous abortion or stillbirth can occur.

Use a seat belt and baby carrier

When a woman has a baby it is important that she take great care of it. When transporting an infant in a car, she must always be in the back seats, and she must also carry the seat belt with her.

It is extremely important that you take a baby carrier, it is safer since the mother or father can carry the baby with them, preventing any type of accident and not taking their eyes off it.

Avoid exposure to lead and radiation

Lead is a very harmful chemical element that can cause anemia and its effects are irreversible. Therefore, pregnant women should stay away from materials or surfaces that have some degree of lead.

In addition to this, radiation can cause malformations, diseases such as cancer and mental deterioration. It is important to keep some distance, when you are near objects that emit radiation (such as microwaves or X-rays).