Intellectual Disability

What is the difference between mental retardation and intellectual DISABILITY? 

Intellectual disability is the new term that replaced mental retardation in the recent years.

What is intellectual disability?

It means marked impairment in intellectual functions (understanding, and proper response) and adaptive behavior. 

What is developmental DISABILITY?

It can be considered as an early sign of intellectual disability in infant and early childhood. It is manifested by marked delay in more than two developmental milestones such as holding head, grasping, sitting up, crawling, walking, speaking, and so on, in the absence of any apparent cause. It should not be confused with simple lagging. You have to consult your pediatrician if you have any doubt.

What are the different causes of intellectual disability?

Prenatal Causes

Fetal alcohol syndrome, exposure to toxins during pregnancy, and some maternal infections.
Some genetic diseases such as Down syndrome, Fragile X, metabolic diseases.

Perinatal causes

Fetal hypoxia during delivery, brain trauma and extreme preterm.

Postnatal causes

Brain trauma, brain hemorrhage, meningitis and encephalitis, uncontrolled severe convulsions, some metabolic diseases and toxins.

How to manage intellectual disability

• Diagnose
• Search for the cause
• Proper and adapted care for the affected child according to the cause
• Prevent recurrence through genetic counselling

Dr. Azza Abd El Moneim Attia Mohamed
French Board
Consultant Clinical Genetics