Essay On What Causes Intellectual Disabilities

What causes intellectual disability?

The causes of intellectual disabilities in these ways:

• Genetic conditions – intellectual disabilities caused by genetics come from abnormal genes. Parents may pass these abnormal genes on to children or errors could arise when genes combine in the womb that causes intellectual disabilities. Abnormal genes can occur from infections during pregnancy or from things like overexposure to radiation from X-rays.

• Pregnancy issues – pregnant mothers who use alcohol or drugs during pregnancy put their developing babies at risk for intellectual disability. In fact, one of the best ways to decrease the risk of intellectual disabilities involves completely avoiding alcohol during pregnancy. Smoking during pregnancy can also increase the risk that a baby will have an intellectual disability.

• Issues during birth – premature birth and low birth weight represent risk factors and often indicate

Genetic conditions;

4. Psychiatric conditions.

The leading causes are Autism, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS. Among these, the only preventable cause is fetal alcohol syndrome.

Medical conditions that lead to intellectual disabilities fall into three groups. These are:

1) prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs;

2) exposure to certain toxins 3) some types of infections. Prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs is entirely preventable. Even drinking three drinks a day during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome.

Several sexually transmitted diseases can lead to intellectual disabilities if a fetus or infant is exposed to these diseases. These include Hepatitis B, syphilis, and herpes simplex II. Pregnant women should practice safe sex and use condoms to reduce the risk of exposure. Children should receive immunizations for infections known to cause intellectual disabilities. These immunizations and protocols are constantly evolving. Parents should ask their child's doctor for recommendations.