FREE ESSAY ON CAUSES OF MENTAL RETARDATION

CAUSES OF MENTAL RETARDATION

Blake Zuckerman
3-25-00
Period 6 English
Causes of Mental Retardation
In order to be considered mentally retarded, you must have an IQ below 75, have
significant limitations in two or more adaptive skill areas, and the condition is present
from childhood (defined as age 18 or younger). People can be mentally retarded as all
different levels. About 78% of mentally retarded people will only be a little slower than
the average person, while in others it is very apparent (Arc of New Jersey). There are
many causes of mental retardation.
One cause of mental retardation is of genetic conditions. That includes; abnormal gene
mixes from parents, errors when genes combine, overexposure to x-rays, and many more
reasons. More than 500 genetic diseases are associated with mental retardation. Down
Syndrome is an example of a chromosomal disorder (Mental Retardation Issues). Chromosomal
disorders occur every once in a while, and are caused by too many or too few chromosomes
in the restructure of the chromosomes (The Arc of New Jersey).
Another cause is problems during pregnancy. It could happen if the mother drinks or does
drugs while pregnant with the baby. Other risks include malnutrition, certain
environmental contaminants, and the mother could get ill during the pregnancy. Pregnant
women who are infected with HIV may pass it on to their child. Also very stressful and
physical pregnancies and births can cause damage to a child's brain (Introduction to
Mental Retardation).
Mental Retardation also occurs frequently after birth. Childhood diseases such as big
coughs, chicken pox, measles, and hip disease, which may lead to meningitis and
encephalitis, can damage the brain, as can accidents such as being hit in the head, near
drowning situations, and most other accidents involving the head. Another that can be
harmful to a child mentally is environmental fumes, lead, mercury, and other dangerous
toxins (Introduction to An American History of Mental Retardation).
Bibliography
Bibliography
Introduction to An American History of Mental Retardation. 3-28-00.
http://member.aol.com/MRandDD/introhx.htm.
Introduction to Mental Retardation. 2-25-00. http://thearc.org/faqs/mrqa.html
Mental Retardation Issues. 2-27-00. http://members.amaonline.com/nrogers/mr.htm
The Arc of New Jersey. What is MR. 2-27-00. http://www.arcnj.org/html/what_is_mr.html