Some 5-15% of children aged 3 to 15 years in both developing and developed countries suffer from mental handicaps. There may be as many as 10-30 million severely and about 60-80 million mildly or moderately mentally retarded children in the world. The conditions causing mental handicaps are largely preventable through primary health care measures in developing countries. Birth asphyxia and birth trauma are the leading causes of mental handicaps in developing countries where over 1.2 million newborns die each year from moderate or severe asphyxia and an equal number survive with severe morbidity due to brain damage. The other preventable or manageable conditions are: infections such as tuberculous and pyogenic meningitides and encephalopathies associated with measles and whooping cough; severe malnutrition in infancy; hyperbilirubinaemia in the newborn; iodine deficiency; and iron deficiency anaemia in infancy and early childhood. In addition, recent demographic and socioeconomic changes and an increase in the number of working mothers tend to deprive both infants and young children of stimulation for normal development. To improve this situation, the primary health care approach involving families and communities and instilling the spirit of self-care and self-help is indispensable. Mothers and other family members, traditional birth attendants, community health workers, as well as nurse midwives and physicians should be involved in prevention and intervention activities, for which they should be trained and given knowledge and skills about appropriate technologies such as the risk approach, home-based maternal record, partograph, mobilogram (kick count), home-risk card, icterometer, and mouth-to-mask or bag and mask resuscitation of the newborn. Most of these have been field-tested by WHO and can be used in the home, the health centre or day care centres to detect and prevent the above-mentioned conditions which can cause mental handicap.
PIP: 5-15% of all 3-15 year old children in the world are mentally impaired. In fact, 0.4-1.5% (10-30 million) are severely mentally retarded and an additional 60-80 million children are mildly or moderately mentally retarded. Birth asphyxia and birth trauma account for most cases of mental retardation in developing countries. 1.2 million newborns survive with severe brain damage and an equal number die from moderate or severe birth asphyxia. Other causes of mental retardation can also be prevented or treated such as meningitis or encephalitis associated with measles and pertussis; grave malnutrition during the 1st months of life, especially for infants of low birth weight; hyperbilirubinemia in neonates which occurs frequently in Africa and countries in the Pacific; and iodine deficiency. In addition, iron deficiency may even slow development in infants and young children. Current socioeconomic and demographic changes and a rise in the number of employed mothers may withhold the necessary stimulation for normal development from infants and young children. Primary health care (PHC) interventions can prevent many mental handicaps. For example, PHC involves families and communities who take control of their own care. Besides traditional birth attendants, community health workers, nurse midwives, physicians, and other parents must also participate in prevention efforts. For example, they should be trained in appropriate technologies including the risk approach, home risk card, partograph, mouth to mask or bag and mask resuscitation of the newborn, kick count, and ictometer. WHO has field tested all these techniques. These techniques not only prevent mental handicaps but can also be applied at home, health centers, and day-care centers.