A child is like a little bud of a flower for their parents. Children bring joy to family.As an adult, one always cherish the bright days of childhood, but what if those days are cheerless for some people. Unfortunately there are certain disorders which can make a child suffer throughout their entire life. These can snatch away their bright future and make their lives doomed.Some people are responsible for suffering from deadly diseases as a consequence of their own activities such as drinking, smoking, poor diet, etc but what about those who are born with disabilities? Surely, they shouldn’t be blamed for their condition . No matter how much we progress and become well educated , there are still some people in our society who criticizes innocent children for their disabilities reducing their chances of leading a happy life and are often separated from their beloved families.
A child’s life, devoid of joy and happiness is not accepted to any parents. In some cases, even the parents become petrified by seeing the child’s condition and remain gnawing until they learn how to abate the disease to some extent. Poor children , whose families cannot provide them with good diet, are left at the mercy of non curable diseases. Here are five common disabilities affecting children.
Down Syndrome
Down syndrome , discovered by John Langdon Down, is a disease which is found in 1 of 1000 children.80% of infants with DS are born to the women under age 35. It is also known as trisomy 21. It is the most common chromosomal abnormality affecting children from their birth and is caused due to an extra copy of chromosome 21. It results in mental retardation and physical abnormalities. Patients with Down Syndrome are at a risk of multiple medical and developmental conditions. The symptoms of it are observed through the development of the child.There is no cure for Down Syndrome. Education and proper counselling to the patient improves the quality of life.
Developmental Delay
Children achieve their developmental milestones at their own pace. These years of a child’s life stays with him for a lifetime. A minor or temporary delay is of no harm but an ongoing or multiple delays is called developmental delay. It can be caused by a variety of factors , including heredity, problems with pregnancy and premature birth. The cause may not always be known. There are many different types of developmental delays in children. They experience problems in any of the following areas:
· Language or speech
· Movement, or motor skills
· Emotional and social skills
· Thinking, or cognitive skills
Proper care and understanding along with treatment by a specialized doctor can help the child to a great extent. Early intervention of the disorder may increase the child’s progress.
Anemia
Many times in our lives,we come across anemic children. Anemia is caused due to deficiency of RBC’s ( Red Blood Cells) or haemoglobin. This results in lowering the transportation of oxygen to different tissues in body. In children , the disease is mainly caused due to insufficient supply of iron in the body. Iron deficiency anemia most commonly affects babies of 9-24 months old. It is the most common form of anemia and is caused by an iron poor diet, body unable to absorb iron very well or rapid growth of a child. Some of the symptoms of anemia are- pale skin, irritability, weakness, dizziness and rapid breathing. The best cure for the disease is consuming an iron rich diet.
Marasmus
When we roam on the streets of our city, we come across poor children lying on footpaths. We don’t give a second thought about them, their lives, their living condition, their empty stomachs , etc. They are the ones facing hell everyday on this earth. About 50% of such children suffer from marasmus. It is a disease caused due to deficiency of almost every nutrient mainly protein and carbhohydrates . Marasmus accounts for a large burden on global health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that deaths attributable to marasmus approach 50% of more than ten million deaths of children under age five with PEM( Protein Energy malnutrition). Children suffering from marasmus shows decreased activity, lethargy, behavioural changes, slow growth and weight loss. The cornerstone of therapy for marasmus is to supply the body with the necessary nutritional requirements .
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder. It is present in children by birth. Some show symptoms of the disease in infancy , others develop them as they grow. A child has to struggle a lot to “grow out of it” as there is no cure for the disease. Children affected with autism have difficulties in social interaction, communication and behaviour . They are unable to understand others emotions. They have low IQ level and have poor academic performance but they may develop high skills in other activities such as painting, music, etc. They have motional difficulties such as walking and sitting. They are often self abusive and are unable to cope with changes . There are treatments for autistic children that can help them to learn new skills and overcome a wide variety of developmental changes . But more importantly ,intense love and care of parents towards the child proves to be of great help to them.
We all want to live a smooth life but we do have to overcome the hurdles. There are diseases which cannot be cure but can be mitigate through will power, love and care . We just have to look at the brighter side of it and accept the unfortunate ,the way it is. If we can do little to uplifts somebody’s stranded life , we must go for it and help those children whose diseases can be curb through support from loved ones which succumbs to a happy life.
Good article. The above mentioned delays in the artice are not easily identifiable, but it has a great impact on a child’s ability to learn later in school and to make friends.
Start tracking the developmental milestones of your child and measures your child’s Socio-Communication, Play and Emotion skills at every step when it matters the most.