Severe mental retardation
Severe mental retardation is not a single disease, but is considered only one of the degrees of oligophrenia. Severe mental retardation refers to the subdivision of imbecility, which means not average imbecility in severity, but also not deep idiocy. Such individuals are usually characterized by a phenotype with peculiarities and restriction of activity of any spheres. But, they have quite a developed second human speech signal system, which is advantageous against the backdrop of idiocy. Unlike the deep degree, patients can form and produce simple reflexes, which are conditionally elementary and this is favorable for care, which is mainly in front of idiocy.
Mental retardation is formed in the early childhood and only up to a three-year age limit. It is pathogenetically explained by the peculiarities of individual development of mental inclinations in crumbs and identification of problems. The reasons for these manifestations are plentiful and naturally it is a weighty load( both moral and monetary) for family labored couples and society. But the humanity of our society supports such individuals with deviations, despite their inability for pedagogical education.
Severe mental retardation - what is it?
The severe degree of mental retardation belongs to the register of mental illnesses, has number F 72. Mental retardation forms several forms: differentiated, which has its causes, and undifferentiated, the origin of which has not been clarified.
The spread of such a severe form of mental retardation is less expressive than easy, but there are a considerable number of it. Causes vary greatly depending on the individual, their huge number. During the evidence-based medicine, their search is very relevant, but not always finding the cause increases the number of chances for the selection of adequate treatment.
The search for reasons is selected individually because of different clinical cases, because it is impossible to predict the outcome of all situations. The factors of the emergence of severe mental retardation are caused in various sources, the child can be succumbed to them in the womb, being protected, at birth with a severe outcome, with infections, injuries and many other reasons.
Intoxications are one of the leading causes, as there can be many. Many in utero drugs, such as Embryotoxin or Fetotoxin with teratogenic effects, can lead to severe mental retardation. According to the American Association of Testing Drugs and Eating Pregnant, only salt solutions can be harmless, and then selectively. And no vitamins, useful pills that support the fetus, but about antibiotics, hormones, cytostatics and anthelmintic in general there is no speech. But, now there is a polypharmacy with a significant intake of excess drugs, so many couples, not knowing about their newly-baked position, take toxic teratogenes. Also, sleeping pills, tranquillizers and neuroleptics are dangerous, many anesthetics, drugs for anesthesia, as well as drugs and alcohol.
Alcoholism in the mother can bring a lot of dangers and provoke the emergence of severe mental retardation. Effects from the exogenous sphere are also intoxication in the mother with diseases of somatic origin and substance abuse. Especially dangerous groups of torch infections, to them belong to toxoplasmosis, which in adults is practically inert, rubella, an infantile disease that has an irreparable teratogenic effect on the fetus, with deafness and blindness, is also very dangerous cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus. Especially dangerous is this pathology in the acute course of pregnancy due to irreparable effects on the fetus with their ability to pass through the placenta.
The effect of absolutely all viruses on the fetus of medicine is unknown, but even an elementary cold can sometimes greatly harm the mental development, and influenza, rubella, chicken pox, scarlet fever and even more so.
Many chronic diseases, as well as toxic work is very harmful to the unborn baby. After all, harmful metabolites accumulate in the mother's body and normal metabolism is disrupted. This often causes the crumb to sort out on its fragile organism the functions of detoxification, which leads to the formation of decompensations with severe mental retardation.
Many obstetric pathologies will also lead to mental retardation: chronic and acute fetal hypoxia, placental abruption, low location, multiparty, especially with identical twins and low and polyhydramnios during pregnancy. Injuries in any period of gestation and during childbirth can become fatal for the normal development of the brain. Especially dangerous are traumatic methods of obstetrics, as well as hypoxic suffering of the fetus.
Now with the advent of genetics, genetic syndromes, leading to severe mental retardation, began to appear.
Severe mental retardation in children occurs with Rett's syndrome, a genetic mutation that at the age of six months leads to the regression of a child, until normally formed mentally. Severe mental retardation in children occurs with injuries or illnesses in the early - up to 3 years of age.
Symptoms of severe mental retardation
Severe degree of mental retardation manifests itself as congenital pathologies. It should appear before the first triennium.
Severe mental retardation in children occurs early and usually parents quickly try to determine the root cause of their appearance to help their baby, but this is not always possible.
Characteristics of children with severe mental retardation is very picturesque, they have a characteristic phenotype, that is, appearance. Mouth is slightly open, there may be drooling. They can be taught basic skills, but caring for them is very difficult. Development lags behind, intellect is formed slowly and forever remains underdeveloped. They are not trained and are able to master only the simplest heavy physical labor. They have anamnesticheskoy found out hypnosis, poor memory, but unlike idiocy they distinguish their loved ones. In clinical conversation, their primitivism is noticeable, and also, having interrogated relatives, it is possible to understand how badly they are oriented in self-control. According to psychological questionnaires and methods for detecting intelligence, you can test them and find out that these figures do not exceed 34 figures, but at least 20. In such cases, you can diagnose severe mental retardation.
The lag is always noticeable in the physical perspective, not only in the intellectual. Often there are defects in the ears, faces, similar external deviations, unusual shape of the head, hypoplasia of genetals. Depending on the underlying cause, such individuals have neuralgic manifestations, paresis and paralysis, especially if the cause is hypoxic or CNS trauma. Often they are taught elementary, so they understand speech and even are able to pronounce single simple words. But they are not able to grammatically verbally, as well as to use complex constructions. Their thinking, as well as expressions are concrete and often designate the simplest requests. Often they have violations of instincts and will, which can lead to the difficulties of living with them. Emotions are poorly differentiated, but they recognize relatives and listen to praise and vice versa. They are aggressive, can fight, do not differ complacency, are irritable and withdrawn. Questions are answered consistently, monosyllabically, primitively and after a pause. They can not abstract and generalize. The account is practically inaccessible to them, some manage to teach to count up to three - five. They can eat ready-made food and get dressed, are able to repeat simple labor actions.
They can not be abandoned otherwise they will disappear, easily suggestible, not oriented in the new environment and are not able to bypass themselves, have a need for supervision. No special interests are shown, but they can review pictures in magazines.
There are two separate groups of people with severe mental retardation, one group is sluggish-apathetic, the individual is indifferent and is only interested in satisfying his needs, refer to torpid. Another group, erectile persons are very lively and mobile, they are characterized by aggression and liveliness, they are mobile and often restless. In emotional spheres, they are very different malicious, then they are stubborn or cordial, then they are complacent and affable. But the second group is much less common.
Characteristics of severe mental retardation in children is manifested by lagging behind the weather, and in adults, a violation of the intimate sphere and behavioral motives.
Programs for children with severe mental retardation
The problems of children are a scourge of society and all strata of people suffer from them. That's why a lot of programs are being learned to give learning opportunities and work in the future, even elementary, to such children. In addition to programs with stresses for psychologists and psychotherapists, it is very important to use traditional treatment to facilitate inter-neuronal connections.
Many countries have developed training programs for crumbs with special needs, and especially with severe mental retardation. There are many centers for specially developed children who conduct lessons on a simplified, specially designed program, as well as kinesiotherapists, special apparatus for nerve activation, professional masseurs and doctors. In general, children in these centers have the opportunity to take up a full day, and give them a small chance to develop skills for life. At an older age, there are similar centers, where there are elementary skills of adulthood, orientation, education of dates, seasons, you can learn skills of independent life and elementary cooking. Also they teach simple work at the computer and offer to visit the room of snuzelen therapy for the removal of aggression.
Of drugs with severe mental retardation, nootropics and adaptogens are relevant. It is important to have reliable care with treatment if you need somatic pathologies and prevent the formation of chronic infections. In some cases, in case of behavioral disorders we use tranquilizers or even antipsychotics, better atypical: Rispaxol, Clozapine, Solian. In case of sleep disturbance, we use Zolpidem or sedatives, such as Valerian, Bifren, Magne antistress, Valesana.
