6.1.4: Effects of Developmental Disabilities on Growth and Development
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Developmental disabilities impact growth and development in a variety of ways. It all depends on the type of disability and the functioning level of the person. No two people are alike. One person with Down syndrome may be able to live fairly independently while another person with Down syndrome may require constant supervision.
People with intellectual disabilities may have trouble with learning and require special help to learn skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics. Learning may occur at a slower rate compared to other children of the same age.
People with cerebral palsy may have trouble with motor skills and require assistance learning how to perform ADLs independently, or may require total care. Their ability to learn motor skills such as walking and feeding may happen at a later time compared to other children of the same age.
A person who has autism may have impairments in communication and with social skills. They may need extra support and behavioral interventions to help them communicate and interact with others. Their ability to interact with others may take a longer time compared to other children of the same age.
Children and adults with neurological impairments may have trouble with their senses, such as vision and hearing. They may or may not have any other physical or intellectual disability. They may require assistance with learning how to function independently. Learning language and communicating with others for a child with a hearing or vision loss may happen at a later time compared to children of the same age.
It is important for Home Health Aides/Personal Care Aides to be familiar with the timeline for normal developmental milestones. If they notice that a child with whom they are working is not meeting developmental milestones, they should discuss their concerns with their supervisor. The health care team can further assess the child to see if special testing and additional resources and support would be helpful.
You can visit CDC.gov (www.cdc.gov), which is your online source for credible health information and is the official Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You can download a Milestone Moments booklet to use in your work with children and their parents at the CDC.gov’s website at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/p...entseng508.pdf
Causes of Developmental Disabilities
Developmental disabilities can occur in several ways. Some are due to congenital defects. Congenital defects are problems that occur during development of the person when they are in utero (in the mother’s womb) and due to a mutation or error in genetic coding of their genes or chromosomes. Examples of congenital defects include Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome.
Developmental disabilities can also be acquired (obtained after birth or as a result of something not related to genetics). They can occur from an infection that occurs during pregnancy. Pregnant women need to take special care to remain infection free and to avoid people and children who have bacterial and viral infections, such as chicken pox, rubella (German measles), and toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is bacteria that are ingested by eating undercooked meat or handling cat feces (such as while cleaning out a litter box).
Developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy are often caused by brain damage (due to a loss of oxygen) during the development or delivery of the baby, or they may be caused by a birth injury or an infection. Developmental disabilities can occur due to poor prenatal care (care the mother receives while pregnant). If, for example, a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, smokes, uses drugs, or does not receive proper nutrition, her child could potentially have a developmental disability.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) can cause physical and intellectual disabilities and birth defects. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is one type of developmental disability that can be 100% prevented by not drinking alcohol during pregnancy. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol passes through the umbilical cord to the baby (CDC, 2014c). The baby ingests alcohol along with the mother. Children with FAS may have abnormal facial features such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip, small head size, and a less than average height and weight (CDC, 2014b). Hyperactivity, learning disabilities, speech and language delays, low IQ, poor reasoning and judgment skills, and trouble with vision or hearing may also result due to FAS (CDC, 2014b; CDC 2014c). If Home Health Aides/Personal Care Aides observe that a pregnant woman with whom they are working drinking alcohol, they should immediately report this to their supervisor. It is important to remember and to educate pregnant women that no amount of alcohol is safe.
To learn more about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, you can visit CDC.gov (www.cdc.gov), which is your online source for credible health information and is the official Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You can learn more information about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome by visiting this link at the CDC.gov’s website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/docum...alcoholuse.pdf. A brochure called An Alcohol Free Pregnancy can be downloaded and shared with patients from the CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/docum...hure_final.pdf
Pregnant women need to take special care during their pregnancies by eating a healthy diet, taking prenatal vitamins their physician prescribes, and refraining from ingesting cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. Smoking, drinking, and using drugs while pregnant increases the risk for a baby to be premature or have low birth weight. Premature babies (birth that occurs before the baby is fully developed and before 37 weeks of gestation) or low birth weight babies (babies who are less than 5 pounds 8 ounces at birth) are also more likely to have developmental disabilities as they did not have enough time in utero to properly develop.
Lead poisoning can also lead to a child having a developmental disability. This is a type of disability that occurs after the child is born. Lead can be found in a number of sources, such as construction materials, batteries, and paint. Homes and buildings used to be built using lead materials. Children who live in older homes are the most at risk for lead poisoning as lead may be in the building materials or paint used. Children tend to put many things in their mouths. Lead poisoning can occur if a child ingests (eats) paint and other materials that have lead in them. Lead poisoning can impact a child’s physical development (such as cause muscle and bone problems), cause behavioral problems or cognitive problems (such as difficulty paying attention and learning), cause anemia (low blood count), and weight loss. The good news is that people who live in older buildings can have their paint tested to check for lead. If there is a concern about this, speak to a supervisor.
1. Which of these can result in acquired developmental disabilities? Select all that apply.
a). Lead poisoning
b). Down syndrome
c). Tourette syndrome
d). Fetal alcohol syndrome
2. Which two of these is a congenital developmental disability?
a). Lead poisoning
b). Down syndrome
c). Fetal alcohol syndrome
d). Fragile X Syndrome
3. Pregnant women should avoid alcohol, smoking, and drugs. True or false
- Answer
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1. A & D
2. B & D
3. True
FEEDBACK:
1. Acquired developmental disabilities are those that are obtained after birth (rather than while the baby was developing within the womb). Lead poisoning occurs when a child ingests lead. Fetal alcohol syndrome
2. A congenital developmental disability is due to a defect that occurs while the baby is developing in the womb. Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome are disorders that occur due to mutations of genes. This happens while the baby is developing.
3. Pregnant women should avoid alcohol, smoking, and drugs. These substances have been known to cause learning, physical, social, and intellectual disorders. They are very harmful to a developing baby.