Debasish mridha, an American author, once said, ‘“It is a smile of a baby that makes life worth living”. This would be especially true for parents who have just had the blessing of a child being born into their family. However, amidst all the joy and excitement, it is important to ensure that your lovely child is in perfect health. With this in mind, we will be telling you more about 3 common disorders found in babies that you need to be aware of.
1.Autism
There is no clear known cause of autism in children, and it is often devastating for parents to realise that their child has autism, because it is a lifelong disability with no known cure. It is hard for children with Autism to communicate their emotions clearly to those around them, and it is hard for them to interact with others clearly. This impedes their learning process when they enter schools.
The earliest and most common symptom shown in children with Autism is delayed speech. While most children start to learn to communicate with their parents and others from around 18 months, children with Autism take longer or are unable to do so. It is hard for them to learn a language or communicate their feelings to others, and they sometimes also refuse to make eye contact. They might also develop unusual interests or exhibit repetitive behaviors.
If you suspect that your child might have Autism, you should bring him/her to the nearest clinic/centres to run tests for Autism. While there is no medicine or cure for Autism, it is important to discover Autism in your child as early as possible so that its symptoms can be kept under control through education and therapy. If this succeeds, children with autism can develop communication and social skills and develop into normal adults with learning abilities that are on par with others, although they may be socially awkward at times.
2. Dyslexia
Similar to Autism, there is no cure for Dyslexia and it will hinder your child’s learning process his/her entire life. It usually affects a child’s ability to read words accurately and fluently. They often skip words or lines when reading sentences, and words may seem to move around as they read. It may also affect their learning ability in terms of mental calculation, coordination and processing speed.
However, early intervention and aid can teach children with Dyslexia skills to cope with this illness and catch up with others in school.
3. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Children with ADHD find it difficult to focus on a specific subject at a time and organise their thoughts clearly. While it may be due to genetic reasons, this also occurs commonly in children who had a premature birth, or mad their mothers drink alcohol or smoke during pregnancy. The 2 main symptoms of ADhD are being easily distracted, inability to control impulses and hyperactiveness, which all impedes their learning ability in school. In addition, children with ADHD may have trouble with time management and setting goals for themselves and achieving them.
Similar to Autism, children with ADHD require a multi-prong treatment that would help with changing their lifestyle and habits to cope with this illness. However, because this is a neurological disorder, medication is also given in tandem with therapy to regulate the chemicals in their brain, so that they can remain focused and exercise self-control. With such aid, children with ADHD have the option to remain in mainstream schools, while more attention and care may be needed to help them to cope in school.
As such, we have explored the 3 disorders commonly found in babies. While such disorders are common in babies, this does not mean it should be taken lightly as they are all lifelong disorders that may impede their ability to cope in school and fit into social groups. Hence, it is important for parents to discover such disorders in their children as early as possible and seek professional help.
