Mental retardation can be caused by infections, chromosomal abnormalities, hereditary disorders, nutritional deficiencies, and traumatic injuries that impair brain development. Infections such as tuberculosis, rubella, and cytomegalovirus can cause mental retardation, while chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome can also lead to it. Hereditary disorders like Hunter syndrome and Hurler syndrome, as well as nutritional deficiencies and traumatic injuries, can also cause mental retardation.
There are many possible causes of mental retardation, but the most common are infections that develop in the unborn baby or soon after birth. In other cases, chromosomal abnormalities are to blame. Hereditary disorders, traumatic injuries, and nutritional deficiencies can sometimes lead to mental retardation as well. Basically, anything that occurs before a person is born, immediately after birth, or during childhood that impairs brain development can lead to mental retardation. It is important to keep in mind however that the causes of many cases of delay are never discovered.
Infections that affect a baby while it is still in the womb, soon after delivery or in infancy can lead to mental retardation if it negatively affects brain development. Infections that can cause or contribute to the development of mental retardation include tuberculosis, a lung disease; encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain; rubella, also called German measles; and toxoplasmosis, which is caused by parasites. Additional causes related to infection include listeriosis, which is caused by bacteria; meningitis, characterized by inflammation of the brain and spinal membranes; and cytomegalovirus, a type of herpes virus. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), also has the potential to cause mental retardation.
Chromosomal abnormalities are also among the causes of mental retardation. For example, abnormalities present before birth, such as in Down syndrome, can cause mental retardation. Inherited chromosomal problems, such as in an abnormality called fragile X syndrome, can also cause them. Also, a person may be born mentally retarded when a gene is in the wrong place on a chromosome.
Some hereditary disorders are also among the possible causes of mental retardation. For example, a person may be mentally retarded due to Hunter syndrome, a disorder in which sugar molecules build up too much, or Hurler syndrome, a rare disorder involving sugar metabolism. Rett syndrome and Tay-Sachs disease, both of which involve the nervous system, can also lead to mental retardation. Phenylketonuria (PKU), characterized by the inability to break down a substance called phenylalanine, is also a cause of mental retardation.
There are also nutritional causes of mental retardation. If a child is malnourished, for example, they may be more likely to suffer from mental retardation. Malnutrition can result from diets that don’t include a good balance of nutrients, nutrient absorption problems, starvation of food, and certain medical conditions that go untreated.
Traumatic injuries also sometimes cause mental retardation. A brain injury during birth can cause it, as can severe head injuries in infancy. Oxygen deprivation to the brain can also cause it. Also, bleeding in the brain that occurs before or after birth can lead to mental retardation.
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