Pregnancy complications
&
Disabled Children
Developmental disabilities can begin at any time during the developmental period and usually they last throughout the individual’s lifetime but most developmental disabilities begin before the baby is born, and some can happen after birth because of environmental and other factors like injury and infections., Moreover, when we talk about the complications in pregnancy and during pregnancy and childbirth, we come to know that they are becoming the leading cause of death and disabilities among women of reproductive age and it can also lead disabilities in their children. Developmental disabilities can involve a cognitive and sensory difficulty, and it can also lead some other problems such as social or communicational issues, language related problem, a motor impairment, adaptive delay or some combination of these are also included but early recognition of their existence or timely diagnosis and an appropriate treatment plan can make a difference for the children and their families.
Complications during pregnancy that causes disabilities in children:
Most of disabilities are through to be caused by a complex mix of factors. These factors include genetics; parental health and behaviors (such as smoking and drinking) during pregnancy; complications during birth; infections in mother when she is pregnant; the premature birth of babies; and exposure of the mother or child to high levels of environmental toxins, such as lead. For example, fetal alcohol syndrome is caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy. All the disabilities cause problem in children life and their parent’s life as well. Some specific kind of developmental disabilities cause due to the following problems such as:
1. Maternal Infections during pregnancy
2. Use of Alcohol during pregnancy
3. High Blood Pressure
4. Gestational Diabetes
5. Preeclampsia
1. Maternal Infections during Pregnancy:
Maternal infections during pregnancy can lead the baby towards cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections that may cause hearing loss, head trauma, and many other major disabilities. Most of people with CMV infections have no symptoms so they are not aware that they have been infected. If you are pregnant and get infection with CMV, so please see a doctor, because you can pass the virus to your baby during pregnancy and in most severe causes, CMV can cause pregnancy lose.
What is Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infections?
It is caused in babies by maternal infections during pregnancy. When a baby is born with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, it is called congenital CMV. Most babies with congenital CMV never show sign and health problems but some babies have health problems at birth or that develop later. Some major signs of congenital CMV are
· Rash
· Jaundice that includes the yellowing of the skin and white of the eyes
· Lose birth weight
· Hepatosplenomegly that means enlarge liver and spleen
· Retinitis that damages the retina of eye
On the other hand, some babies with signs of congenital CMV infection at birth can have long-term health problems, such as:
· Hearing loss
· Developmental and motor delay
· Vision loss
· Microcephaly (small head)
· Seizures
Some babies can have hearing loss at birth or can develop it later, even babies who passed the newborn hearing test or did not have any other sign right after the birth.
2. Use of Alcohol during Pregnancy:
Use of alcohol during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome and that can cause intellectual disabilities in baby in his developmental period. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is defined as a group of conditions that can occur in a person who was exposed to alcohol before birth. It is preventable only if, the baby is not exposed to alcohol before birth.
Use of Alcohol during pregnancy causes Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in mother:
It is a congenital syndrome that is associated with excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy, and characterized by restriction of mental development and of physical growth, and particularly of the skull and face. There is no amount of alcohol that is saved to be consumption is save during pregnancy but if you suspect any kind of disability in your child due to drinking alcohol, talk with your doctor because early diagnosis may help to reduce problems such as learning difficulties that can be the cause of intellectual disabilities and many behavioral issues.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in mother causes Intellectual disabilities in children:
Intellectual disabilities are that type of disabilities that can be caused by fetal alcohol syndrome that is the result of use of alcohol during pregnancy. Intellectual disabilities are developmental disorders and it is a term used when there are limits to a person’s abilities to learn at an expected level and function in daily life. Moreover, children having intellectual disabilities might have a hard time letting others know their wants and needs, and taking care of themselves. It can also cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than other children of his same age. It will take longer for a child with intellectual disability to learn to speak, walk, dress, or eat without any kind of help or support. Furthermore, they can have trouble learning in school.
Symptoms of Intellectual Disabilities:
There are some signs of intellectual disabilities that children with this kind of disabilities may have:
• Sit up, crawl, or walk later than other children of their age
• Learn to talk later than other children or have trouble in speaking
• Find really hard to remember things
• Have trouble in understanding social rules
• Have trouble in seeing the results of their own actions
• Have problem in solving problem
3. High Blood Pressure:
High blood pressure during pregnancy poses risk and complications during pregnancy. The high blood pressure in mother makes it more difficult for the baby to get enough oxygen and nutrients to grow. It can cause the amount of less blood flow to the placenta. If the placenta does not get enough blood, the unborn baby might receive less oxygen and fewer nutrients. This can lead to slow growth, low birth weight or premature birth.
High Blood Pressure causes premature birth:
Premature is defined as babies born alive before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed. Premature babies are not fully developed at birth. They may have more health problems and may need to stay in a hospital longer than babies born later. Some health problems that are related to premature birth such as intellectual disabilities last life time. There are problems in these kinds of babies and in their brain and how their brain works that can cause a person to have trouble or delays in physical development, learning and communicational disorders and many other health problems such as anemia, breathing issues, newborn jaundice, etc.
Premature birth causes Anemia in children:
Anemia is known as a medical condition that can be a result of premature birth of baby. It is a problem that happened when the baby does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to the rest of the body. It can be in the causes of low level of oxygen and glucose in the blood of baby and it can make harder for baby’s organ to carry out blood properly throughout the body.
Symptoms of Anemia:
Sign of anemia in baby can include:
· Pale skin
· Lips, lining of eyelids, and nail beds looking less pink than normal
· Irritability
· Weakness
· Tiring easily and napping more than usual
· Yellow skin or eyes like in jaundice
· Dark-colored urine
Moreover, some severe anemia signs include:
· Shortness of breath
· A rapid heart rate
· Swelling in the hands and feet
· Headaches
· Dizziness and fainting
Depression and Anxiety
Anxiety, stress and depression during pregnancy is associated with shorter gestation and has adverse implications for fetal neurodevelopmental disorders. It can also increase the risk for preterm birth, low birth-weight, and smaller head circumference. It is the most common type of complication that occurs during pregnancy. Sometimes, pregnant women do not realize that they are depressed they may only think that they are having the symptoms of pregnancy or the baby blues, which many women experience right after giving the birth. Moreover, depression during pregnancy can also lead towards:
· Miscarriage
· Delivering before the due date
· Giving birth to the small baby, or low birth weight
If the depression during pregnancy left untreated, it can lead mother of baby towards the postpartum depression. It is known as the condition that can last for months in women after giving the birth.
4. Gestational Diabetes:
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is usually diagnosis at the time of pregnancy or during pregnancy. It is the type of diabetes that causes high blood sugar that can affect pregnancy and baby’s health. During pregnancy we can control gestational diabetes by eating healthy foods, exercising and if necessary, then taking medications.
Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes:
Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes includes:
· It will increase thirst
· More-frequent urination
And other symptoms faced by other type of diabetes patients are also included and it can cause high blood pressure and preeclampia (that is also discussed in article) and because of its baby become overfed and grows extra-large. Besides causing discomfort to the women during the last few months of pregnancy, an extra-large baby can lead to many problems during delivery for mother and the baby as well.
Gestational Diabetes in mother causes fetal macrosomia in children:
The term fetal macrosomia is used to describe a new born baby who is much larger than average. A baby who is diagnosed with fetal macrosomia weights more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces regardless of gestational age. It can cause many problems and complications to our baby and mother as well. Generally, if the doctor says that the baby is larger than 11 pounds, then C-section is the best option otherwise it can cause harm and damage to the mother’s virginal canals. Fetal macrosomia can set your baby at the risk of many serious health issues such as shoulder dystocia.
Fetal Macrosomia causes Shoulder dystocia:
Shoulder dystocia can happen when the head of baby emerges, but the shoulder get stuck inside the uterus. It is such a very serious condition that can occur with any delivery but more common during giving the birth to large babies. The doctor can monitor the sign of shoulder dystocia by monitoring the mother’s labor.
Shoulder Dystocia can cause:
In new born babies shoulder dystocia can cause many issues such as:
· Born fractures in baby
· Brachial plexus injury that can damage baby’s nerves that send signals to their arms
· Brain damage
Large newborn babies are also at the risk for complications after their delivery that includes:
· High blood cell count that can increase the risk of jaundice in baby
· Low sugar in their blood
· Breathing problems
5. Preeclampsia:
Preeclampsia means hyper-tension occurring during pregnancy. It is also known as type of disorder during pregnancy that is characterized by the on-set of high blood pressure in mother and often a significant amount of protein in the urine. It can damage our kidneys and other organs as well. Furthermore, it usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women mostly in those whose blood pressure had previously been in standard range. Preeclampsia, if untreated, can result in serious, potentially fatal complications for both as well as the mother unborn child. A baby's early delivery is frequently advised. How far along you are in your pregnancy and the magnitude of your preeclampsia will determine when you should give birth. Monitoring and medications to raise blood pressure and manage troubles are part of preeclampsia treatment prior to delivery. Preeclampsia, also known as postpartum preeclampsia, can show up after childbearing.
Symptoms of Preeclampsia:
Preeclampsia is known as blood pressure, proteinuria, or other manifestations of kidney or other organ damage. You might not exhibit any obvious symptoms. During regular prenatal visits with a health professional, the initial symptoms of preeclampsia are commonly found. Along with high blood pressure, preeclampsia signs and symptoms may include:
· Sign of Kidney problems
· Nausea or vomiting
· Decreased levels of platelets in blood
· Severe headaches
· Shortness of breath
· Pain in the upper belly, usually under the ribs on the right side
Disabilities in Children because of Preeclampsia:
Preeclampsia leads disability in children or babies, it can cause many health issues such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in baby. Some of these problems are discussed below:
What is autism spectrum disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Some people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known. Scientists believe there are multiple causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that act together to change the most common ways people develop and one most major and known cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is Preeclampsia. Moreover, when we talk about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) we must aware from that those who are suffering with this kind of medical issues are quite different from normal people. They may interact, behave, and communicate differently from most of people.
For example: An individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) could have no functional speech, or also can have an advanced vocabulary. He may have intellectual disability, or also can have an above average Intelligence Quotient (IQ) with an advanced degree. He may be socially withdrawn or socially active but in an oblivious, eccentric way.
Symptoms Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):
Some children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty learning, and some have signs of lower-than-normal intelligence. Other children with the disorder have normal to high intelligence they learn quickly, yet have trouble communicating and applying what they know in everyday life and adjusting to social situations Because of the unique mixture of symptoms in each child, severity can sometimes be difficult to determine. It's generally based on the level of impairments and how they impact the ability to function. Furthermore, there are two types of problems that generally children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have:
1. Difficulty in social interaction and communication.
2. Pattern of behavior or repetitive behavior.
Symptom # 01: Social Interactions and Communications:
A child having autism spectrum disorder (ASM) may have problems with social interaction and communication skills that includes and many problems and including these signs:
· Fails to respond to his name or may feel trouble in hearing and understanding at a time
· Resists cuddling and holding, and seems to prefer playing alone
· Has poor eye contact and lacks facial expression
· Doesn't speak or has delayed speech, or loses previous ability to say words or sentences
· Can't start a conversation or keep one going, or only starts one to make requests or label items
· Repeats words or phrases verbatim, but doesn't understand how to use them
· Unable to understand simple questions or directions
· Unable to express emotions or feelings and appears unaware of others' feelings
· Doesn't point at or bring objects to share interest
· Has difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, such as interpreting other people's facial expressions, body postures or tone of voice
Symptom # 02: Repetitive Behavior:
A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have limited, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities, including any of these signs:
· They perform repetitive movements, such as hand flapping
· They usually perform activities that could cause self-harm, such as biting or head-banging
· They develop specific routines or rituals and becomes disturbed at the slightest change
· They have problems with coordination or has odd movement patterns, such as clumsiness or walking on toes, or exaggerated body language
· They are fascinated by details of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car, but do not understand the overall purpose or function of the object
· They are unusually sensitive to light, sound or touch, yet may be indifferent to pain or temperature
· They do not engage in imitative or make-believe play
· Fixates on an object or activity with abnormal intensity or focus
· They have specific food preferences, such as eating only a few foods, or refusing foods with a certain texture
As they mature, some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASM) become more involved with others and show fewer disturbances in behavior. Furthermore, some usually those with the least severe problems, eventually may lead normal and casual lives but some of them however, continue to have difficulty with language or social skills, and the teen years can bring worse behavioral and emotional problems.
Many conditions and complications, can lead a child towards many disabilities that can long their life time but by caring and taking care of mother during pregnancy we can prevent many problems but there are still many issues that lead a children towards disabilities because of some medical situations at the time of birth and also some problems in genes that develop problems in children during his developmental period and that type of problems can also lead children towards disabilities and many other medical conditions such as:
1. Jaundice in new born babies
2. Down syndrome
3. Low birth weight
1. What happened when newborn get jaundice?
Jaundice in newborn is when your baby’s skin and the white parts of his eyes look yellow. It is caused by the build-up of the substance in the blood called bilirubin that can cause in the result of high blood pressure of mother during pregnancy and it can cause in premature babies as well.
Symptoms of newborn Jaundice:
The symptoms of newborn jaundice are following:
• Dark, yellow urine or colorless urine of babies
• Pale colored poo, or it should be yellow or orange
• Yellowing of skin and eyes
It is more common in new born babies because babies have high number of red blood cells in their blood, which are broken down and replaced frequently. Furthermore, the live of baby is not fully developed, so it is less effective at removing the bilirubin from the blood but after almost 2 weeks baby’s liver can become that much effective at processing bilirubin, so jaundice often cure itself without causing any kind of harm.
2. What is Down syndrome?
Down syndrome is a condition in which an individual has one extra chromosome. Chromosomes are known as small packages of genes in an individual body and those packages of genes determine that how a baby is born, forms and functions as it grows during pregnancy and also after birth. Typically, a baby is born with 46 chromosomes but babies having Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of these chromosomes, chromosome 21. A medical term for having an extra copy of a chromosome is called trisomy. Moreover, Down syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21 and that extra copy changes how the body and brain of baby develop, which can cause both mental and physical challenges for the baby after his birth and throughout his life-span.
Symptoms of Down syndrome:
Most commonly people with Down syndrome might act and look similar to each other but each person has different abilities. For example, people with Down syndrome usually have an IQ (a measure of intelligence) in the mildly-to-moderately low range and are slower to speak than other children.
Some common physical features of Down syndrome include:
· A flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose
· Almond-shaped eyes that slant up
· A short neck
· Small ears
· A tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth
· Tiny white spots on the iris (colored part) of the eye
· Small hands and feet
· A single line across the palm of the hand (palmar crease)
· Small pinky fingers that sometimes curve toward the thumb
· Poor muscle tone or loose joints
· Shorter in height as children and adults
Other medical conditions occur due to Down syndrome:
Many individuals having Down syndrome have the common facial features and can also have or not having any other major birth defects. However, some people with Down syndrome might have one or more major birth defects or other medical problems. Some of the more common health problems among children with Down syndrome are listed below.
· Hearing loss
· Obstructive sleep apnea, which is a condition where the person’s breathing temporarily stops while asleep
· Ear infections
· Eye diseases
· Heart defects present at birth
Health care providers routinely monitor children with Down syndrome for these conditions because these issues can lead a patient towards death and any severe life time disability.
3. What happened because of Low birth-weight?
Low birth-weight is the term that is used to describe the babies who are born with a weight of less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces. Baby weight less than 3 pounds, 5 ounces at birth are considered very low birth weight. It is leads by complications during pregnancy. Nearly all low-birth-weight babies need special care unit until they gain weight and are well enough to go home. They stay more time in hospital than the other babies. The best way to prevent births weight and low births weight is regular prenatal care.
Some risk factors that are causes of complications during pregnancy and leads on to disabilities in babies and children. I would like to include that disabilities in children can be caused by many factors such as parental health, genetics and parental behavior. Moreover, when we come to know about disabilities in children we start thinking about genes and forget to think about medical conditions because many people think that genes are the only cause of having inborn disabilities I in children.
For example, if someone has down syndrome people start believing that child of his aunty or any other relative also had down syndrome when he was born that is why our child also has down syndrome and this is just a myth but it can be true because genetics plays such an important role in causing disabilities in children but it does not mean that every time there is any kind of disability in children and any relative of that child has that specific kind of disability that our new born has, it does not mean that there is some defect that is in the result of problems and situations in genetics but there is also some other factors that also plays very impressive role to lead disabilities in children that are some pregnancy complications and other medical issues or conditions.
Conclusion:
Every woman's biggest desire is to become pregnant and have a child, and every parent hopes to have a healthy child who can live out his life however he pleases. Every parent wants to raise a good person who can serve as an example for others and provide guidance, but every now and again, a little carelessness of mother during pregnancy can make child helpless and disabled for the rest of his life. So, it is important that every woman or pregnant women should be aware of the conditions and complications that can cause disabilities in her children, so if she encounters any problem and any other complication including high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, etc. and many other difficulties or complications, she should try to control it in order to give birth to a healthy child that can fully live his life. At the end, I would like to say that “May Allah Bless Everyone with a Healthy Child (AMEEN)”
