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Disability may be developmental or acquired and may arise
from prenatal damage, perinatal factors, acquired neonatal
factors and early childhood factors. These may include genetic
factors, infections, traumatic or toxic exposure or nutritional
factors which result in perinatal or postnatal damage.
Etiological factors of disability among children at different
stages are:
- Prenatal: genetic factors,
genetic diseases, developmental malformation, maternal
age, maternal diseases, drugs/medicines/chemicals/radiation,
consanguinity, ethnic group.
- Perinatal: low birth weight/prematurity,
obstetric complications, trauma during labor, asphyxia,
intracranial hemorrhage.
- Postnatal: infections
(poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, meningitis, encephalitis),
endemic diseases (goitre, cretinism), accidents, malnutrition,
poisoning, tumors, environmental factors, psychosocial
problems.
The causative factors leading to disability are heterogeneous
and complex, and their contribution in producing disability
may differ in different populations. Furthermore, the etiology
of a substantial percentage of disability remains unknown. |
