What are the symptoms of intellectual disability in premature babies? Will premature babies have intellectual disability?

What are the symptoms of intellectual disability in premature babies? Many premature babies have slow physical development due to various reasons. Many mothers are worried that the intelligence of premature babies will be damaged. So, what are the symptoms of intellectual disability in premature babies? Let me introduce it to you right away.

Symptoms of intellectual disability in premature infants

The early manifestations of mental retardation in newborns are generally long sleep time, inactivity, seldom crying, dull expression, and long drooling. These are early manifestations of mental retardation and mothers should pay attention to them.

1. The baby sleeps for a long time, sleeps well all day, is not active, rarely cries, sometimes screams, and cries weakly;

2. Delayed laughing: Normal babies will smile at their mothers 4 to 6 weeks after birth, but mentally retarded children will not smile until 3 to 4 months old.

3. Dull and expressionless. Normal children can pay attention to the surrounding environment at one month old, but mentally retarded children are not interested in people and things around them.

4. Playing with fingers is late. Normal children start to play with their hands when they lie down at 3 to 4 months old, but mentally retarded children usually start to play with their hands after 6 months old, and their movements are clumsy.

5. Frequent drooling and sticking out tongue, which continues to occur after 1 year old;

6. The child continues to put small toys or other objects in his mouth when he is 2 to 3 years old, while normal children stop putting objects in their mouth after 1 year old;

7. Poor response to speech, not paying attention to adults talking to him, delayed speech development;

8. Unable to count when they are 3 to 4 years old or older, let alone simple addition and subtraction;

9. The development of gross motor skills such as lifting the head, rolling over, sitting, standing, and walking are all delayed;

10. Have a special appearance, different from other children. If the above symptoms are found, the child should be taken to the hospital for examination and diagnosis so as to detect and treat the disease early.

Will premature babies have low intelligence?

Why do premature babies need more care?

Because premature babies are "congenitally deficient", their body temperature regulation function is poor and their respiratory center is immature, which makes them more prone to respiratory dysfunction, which is manifested by shallow breathing, irregular breathing rhythm, apnea, cyanosis of the skin and other symptoms. In addition, they may also have symptoms such as cerebral hypoxia. In addition, the lack of alveolar surfactant can easily lead to hyaline membrane disease, which aggravates hypoxia. Premature babies have poor swallowing and digestive functions, and are prone to vomiting and choking on milk, which can cause aspiration pneumonia and aggravate hypoxia. Premature babies have imperfect liver function, and lack enzymes and proteins that help to reduce jaundice, so that jaundice cannot disappear quickly and hyperbilirubinemia occurs. In addition, premature babies have poor coagulation function, and hypoxia can easily lead to intracranial hemorrhage. Severe diseases such as apnea and aspiration pneumonia, hyaline membrane disease, hyperbilirubinemia, and intracranial hemorrhage can lead to hypoxia and necrosis of brain cells in premature babies, affecting the intellectual development of children. Premature babies are also prone to hypoglycemia and hypocalcemia, which can cause convulsions, damage brain cells, brain development disorders, and mental retardation.

Avoid intellectual disability and seize the critical period of brain development in premature infants

Early education should start from the birth of premature babies, which can not only promote the intellectual development of premature babies, but also fully explore their brain potential to prevent mental retardation. Parents should seize the first two years after the birth of premature babies to implement comprehensive intervention on premature babies to help their children correct their defects. Although mental retardation or cerebral palsy is more common among premature babies, it cannot be generalized. As parents, we should intervene in the intellectual development of our children at an early stage. Only in this way can we prevent mental retardation in premature babies. Parents can perform cranial CT and EEG examinations on premature newborns on the third day after birth, and give them drugs to promote the metabolism of brain cells in the newborn.

Doctors and parenting experts suggest that parents can effectively and positively stimulate their children's vision, hearing and touch during their growth, and enhance their cognitive and language abilities. Parents should be patient and not rush when intervening in the intellectual development of premature infants, and at the same time, do not be discouraged. As long as the parents of premature infants can seize the right opportunity, the intelligence of premature infants can be the same as that of normal children, and will not be worse than them.

Symptoms of mental retardation

The child may have mental retardation (MR), which is caused by damage to brain nerve cells, leading to abnormal neurotransmitter function transmission. There are four main levels of mental retardation symptoms:

1. Mild MR is also called stupidity in psychiatry. IQ is 50-70, and there are mild defects in adaptive behavior. The child's early development is slightly slower than that of normal children, and he is not as lively as normal children. He lacks interest in the things around him; he does things by the rules or moves roughly; his speech development is slightly delayed, and he has little abstract vocabulary; he has poor analytical ability and a superficial understanding of problems. His academic performance is worse than that of ordinary children. He can recite the text, but cannot use it correctly, and has difficulty completing arithmetic word problems.

2. Moderate MR is also called stupidity. IQ is 35-49, and there is a moderate defect in adaptive behavior. The overall development is slower than that of normal children. The language function is not fully developed, the words are unclear, the vocabulary is poor, and only simple concrete thinking can be carried out. Abstract concepts are difficult to establish. The ability to distinguish the surrounding environment is poor, and only the surface and fragmentary phenomena of things can be recognized. No progress can be made in reading and calculation.

3. Severe MR Also known as retarded. IQ is 20-34, with severe defects in adaptive behavior. Developmental delay in all aspects in early years. Slurred pronunciation, very little speech, and very poor self-expression. Lack of abstract concepts and low comprehension. Childish emotions. Very clumsy movements. Have some defensive ability and can avoid obvious dangers.

4. Extreme MR is also called idiocy. IQ is less than 20, and adaptive behavior is extremely defective. They do not understand everything around them. They lack language function and can only shout "Dad" or "Mom" at most, but they cannot really recognize their parents, and their shouting is often unconscious. They lack the instinct of self-protection and do not know how to avoid obvious dangers. Their emotional reactions are primitive. Their sensation and perception are significantly reduced. They have significant motor impairments, and their hands and feet are not flexible or they cannot walk for life.