Preventing Mental Retardation

Mental retardation is a weakness that occurs in the function of intellect. The ability of mentally retarded people fail to grow properly. Mental, intelligence, feelings, and his will be at a low level, so that the relevant experience barriers to adjustment.

Here are some ways that can be done to prevent the occurrence of mental retardation:

1. Genetic consultation will provide knowledge and understanding to parents of mentally retarded children about the causes of mental retardation.
2. MMR vaccination has dramatically reduced the incidence of rubella (German measles) as one of the causes of mental retardation.
3. Amniocentesis and chorion villus sample is a diagnostic examination that can find a number of disorders, including genetic abnormalities and spinal cord or brain abnormalities in the fetus.
4. Every pregnant woman is older than 35 years are encouraged to undergo amniocentesis and chorion villus examination, because they have a risk of having a baby suffering from Down's syndrome.
5. Ultrasound also can help find abnormalities of the brain. To detect Down syndrome and spina bifida can also be measured serum levels of alpha-protein.

Genetic
Filtering prenatal (before birth) for genetic abnormalities and genetic counseling for families who are at risk can reduce the incidence of mental retardation the cause is genetic factors.

Social
Government social programs to eradicate poverty and delivering good education to reduce the incidence of mild mental retardation due to poverty and low economic status.

Poisoned
Environmental program to reduce lead and mercury and other toxins will reduce mental retardation due to poisoning. Increasing public awareness of the effects of the use of alcohol and drugs during pregnancy can reduce the incidence of mental retardation.

Infection
Prevention of rubella kongenitalis a good example of a successful program to prevent one form of mental retardation. Constant vigilance (eg relating to cats, toxoplasmosis   and pregnancy), helps reduce mental retardation due to toxoplasmosis .

The occurrence of mental retardation can be prevented. Prevention of mental retardation can also be divided into four namely:

Namely primary prevention efforts to prevent disease, it can be done with health education in the community, improving the socio-economic circumstances, immunization, genetic counseling and medical measures (eg, good prenatal care, childbirth aid are good, pregnancies in women adolescents and above 40 years reduced and prevention of inflammation of the brain in children.)

Secondary prevention involves early diagnosis and treatment of inflammation of the brain, subdural hemorrhage, craniostenosis  (sutura skull to close too fast, can be opened with a craniostenosis , in which kogenital microcephaly, surgery does not help).

Tertiary prevention is patient education or special training school should be exceptional. Can be neuroleptika to a restless, hyperactive or destructive.

Counseling to parents conducted in a flexible and pragmatic with the aim, among others, assist them in overcoming frustration because of having children with mental retardation. Parents often want children given the drug, and therefore can be given information that until now there has been no drug that can make children to be clever, there's only drug that can help the exchange of substance (metabolism) of brain cells.