Causes of Disabilities and Disorder

The causes of disability and disorder can be understood in two complementary ways: first by when they act (before, during or after birth), and then by the kind of factor involved.

Grouped by timing

• Pre-natal causes act during pregnancy — events, accidents, illness or infection affecting the mother and, through her, the developing baby. Conditions such as the mother's high blood pressure or diabetes during pregnancy can cause disability in the child.
• Perinatal causes are conditions occurring during the delivery of the child that affect the new-born — for example, delayed labour, low birth weight or neonatal infections.
• Post-natal causes are post-birth conditions — illness, infection, a poor environment, accidents, psychological factors and so on.

Grouped by kind of factor

The textbook then sub-divides the causes into nine factors:

1. Biological causes — disorders of the genes, infectious disease, disturbance in gland functioning, or illness. Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, polio and developmental disorders are examples.
2. Psychological causes — mental-health problems such as depression or bipolar disorder, which can influence emotions, thinking and behaviour. These are among the hardest to diagnose and the most misunderstood.
3. Delay in early screening and poor management of disability — how a child plays, learns, speaks, moves and behaves offers important clues to development; a delay in these milestones can signal a problem. Early screening, identification and intervention (help to learn to speak, walk or interact) can make a real difference.
4. Lifestyle — the mother's lifestyle during pregnancy matters greatly. Smoking harms foetal growth; alcohol and substance abuse during pregnancy are among the most common causes of developmental disabilities, including cognitive and learning disabilities, ADHD and behavioural challenges.
5. Accidents and war — accidents at the workplace or on the road, chemical or nuclear accidents, exposure to radiation, and the physical or psychological trauma of warfare or an explosion can all lead to disability. Dangerous working conditions and poor safety precautions add to the risk.
6. Poor approach to healthcare — many disabilities can be prevented with proper access to healthcare during difficult labour and birth, and with proper immunisation. In remote areas, the lack of health facilities sometimes results in disability.
7. Lack of education and awareness — not knowing the precautions to take during or after pregnancy, or about nutrition and exercise, can lead to disability; a lack of awareness also feeds superstition and misguidance.
8. Exposure to chemicals — pesticides, insecticides and other harmful chemicals, if they enter the food chain, can cause disorders in the body's functioning and birth defects in babies. …