AGRI 224 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Microcephaly, Specific Developmental Disorder, Intellectual Disability

• School: University of Delaware
• Department: Agriculture
• Course: AGRI 224
• Professor: Aresenault

Document Summary

Microcephaly is a condition where a baby"s head is much smaller than expected. During pregnancy, a baby"s head grows because the baby"s brain grows. Microcephaly can occur because a baby"s brain has not developed properly during pregnancy or has stopped growing after birth, which results in a smaller head size. Microcephaly can be an isolated condition, meaning that it can occur with no other major birth defects, or it can occur in combination with other major birth defects. Severe microcephaly is a more serious, extreme form of this condition where a baby"s head is much smaller than expected. Severe microcephaly can result because a baby"s brain has not developed properly during pregnancy, or the brain started to develop correctly and then was damaged at some point during pregnancy. Microcephaly has been linked with the following problems: Developmental delay, such as problems with speech or other developmental milestones (like sitting, standing, and walking)