Question
How should developmental delay in children be treated?
Answer
Intelligence is influenced by both hereditary and environmental factors. The vast majority of the causes of mental developmental delay, also known as intellectual disability, are still unclear. Common causes of mental developmental delay triggered during pregnancy include drug abuse, alcoholism, radiation therapy, malnutrition, and viral infections; chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome are also common causes. Many genetic metabolic diseases can lead to mental developmental delay, such as phenylketonuria and cretinism (dwarfism). Early treatment of these diseases can help prevent the occurrence of mental developmental delay. In addition, premature birth, brain damage at birth, asphyxia, and respiratory difficulties may also trigger mental developmental delay. However, there is still controversy over how these factors lead to mental developmental delay.