Aetiological causes of mental retardation in Zimbabwe

 Mental retardation, now widely called learning disability involves impairment in intelligence and
adaptive behavior. It can either be general (low IQ) or specific (dyslexia).
 There are preventable and non-preventable causes of mental disability
 Preventable causes
 Birth asphyxia (spastic CP, learning impairment, blindness, epilepsy)
 Meningitis (CP, Deafness, blindness, epilepsy, learning disability)
 Kernicterus (dystonic CP, deafness)
 Prematurity (hydrocephalus, hemiplegia)
 HIV/AIDS (developmental delay, blindness, spastic paraplegia)
 Non-preventable causes
 Down’s Syndrome
 Non-specific learning disability
 Meningomyelocele
 Muscular dystrophy
 Osteogenesis imperfecta (intermedia)
 Hemophilia

Prevention strategies for Mental Retardation in Zimbabwe

 Look at the preventable causes and mention the programmes that the country has implemented
to combat them!