Question
My baby is over a year old and was born premature, but all physical indicators have returned to normal. However, he is slightly smaller in stature compared to his same age peers. Recently, I’ve noticed that he loves to laugh excessively, and I’m worried that he might have dementia.
Answer
Constant laughter does not necessarily mean there is an intelligence issue. Parents should closely observe the baby’s behavior. If there are no other abnormalities besides his love for laughter, consider taking the baby to the hospital for a check-up. Intellectual disability, also known as mental retardation (MR), is characterized by significantly lower intelligence than the average level during the developmental period, accompanied by behavioral abnormalities. The developmental period typically refers to those under 18 years of age, and significantly lower than the average level of intelligence refers to an IQ below two standard deviations from the normal average (i.e., below 70).