Factors such as impairment, neglect, lack of nutrition, and environmental poisoning can affect a child’s intellectual development. Environmental poisons such as lead and fluoride can have negative effects, as can neglect and lack of stimulation. Adequate nutrition and early detection of impairments are important for intellectual growth.
Impairment, neglect, lack of nutrition, and environmental poisoning are some of the factors that can affect intellectual development in childhood. The first five years of life are believed to be the most important in terms of not only social and emotional development, but also intellectual growth. If intellectual stimulation, such as to children being spoken to and read to, does not occur regularly or cannot be processed due to a disability or the effects of a toxin, thinking and learning can be greatly affected.
Environmental poisons and children’s intellectual growth may be closely related. For example, there have been many studies of lead poisoning in children and the results often suggest a negative effect on intellectual development. Even low levels of lead exposure can have one of the worst impacts on childhood intellectual development. Lead was once widely used in household paints, but due to the study results it has been banned in many parts of the world. Children can be exposed to lead by consuming peeling paint that contains lead, such as that on an old windowsill, and it could affect their intellectual development.
Fluoride is another environmental factor thought to affect childhood intellectual development. Exposure to too much of it, even during the fetus, can damage brain tissue and the central nervous system. Lack of adequate nutrition can also affect intellectual development during childhood, as the body, including the brain, cannot grow properly without the necessary nourishment. Studies show that school-age children who are hungry can have difficulty thinking and learning. This is why some schools offer breakfast and/or lunch programs to children who, due to poverty or abandonment, do not have enough food at home.
Neglect can be one of the strongest influences on intellectual development in childhood. Babies and children need to be asked and interacted with, for example by reading stories and teaching shapes, colours, letters and numbers. Even more than actual teaching, they need communication with adults to develop thinking and language skills. Emotional problems can also interfere with a child’s ability to learn and develop at a normal rate. Hearing or vision impairments, especially those that are not detected and treated early, can also hinder a child’s intellectual development.
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