When should a child recognize letters?
When should a child recognize letters?
By age 2: Kids start recognizing some letters and can sing or say aloud the “ABC” song. By age 3: Kids may recognize about half the letters in the alphabet and start to connect letters to their sounds. (Like s makes the /s/ sound.) By age 4: Kids often know all the letters of the alphabet and their correct order.
When does a child’s brain grow the most?
From birth to age 5, a child’s brain develops more than at any other time in life. And early brain development has a lasting impact on a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school and life.
What happens when a child’s brain stops growing?
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.
Can a child with microcephaly be normal?
Some children with microcephaly are of normal intelligence and development, even though their heads will always be small for their age and sex. But depending on the cause and severity of the microcephaly, complications may include: Developmental delays, such as in speech and movement.
What is the life expectancy of microcephaly?
There is no standard life expectancy for microcephalic babies because outcomes depend on so many factors, and the severity of the condition can range from mild to severe. Babies with mild microcephaly may still meet the same milestones like speaking, sitting and walking as a child without the disorder.
At what age is microcephaly diagnosed?
Early diagnosis of microcephaly can sometimes be made by fetal ultrasound. Ultrasounds have the best diagnosis possibility if they are made at the end of the second trimester, around 28 weeks, or in the third trimester of pregnancy. Often diagnosis is made at birth or at a later stage.
How do I know if my child has microcephaly?
After birth, a baby with microcephaly may have these signs and symptoms:
- Small head size.
- Failure to thrive (slow weight gain and growth)
- High-pitched crying.
- Little appetite or problems with feeding.
- Muscle spasms.
Can microcephaly be normal?
Microcephaly is a condition where a baby’s head is much smaller than normal. It is most often present at birth (congenital). Most children with microcephaly also have a small brain and intellectual disability. Some children with small heads have normal intelligence.
How do you test for microcephaly?
Microcephaly may be diagnosed before birth by prenatal ultrasound. This imaging test uses high-frequency sound waves and a computer to make images of blood vessels, tissues, and organs. Ultrasounds let healthcare providers see the internal organs as they function.
What is microcephaly caused by?
Causes of congenital microcephaly include: Prenatal infections: Exposure to the Zika virus, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy, can damage nerve cells in the brain. Other infectious agents can also cause microcephaly, including rubella (German measles), chickenpox, toxoplasma and cytomegalovirus.
Can microcephaly be prevented?
There’s no cure for microcephaly, but there are treatments to help with development, behavior, and seizures. If your child has mild microcephaly, they’ll need regular doctor checkups to monitor how they grow and develop. Children who have more severe cases need lifelong treatment to control symptoms.
Does Macrocephaly go away?
The treatment for macrocephaly will vary depending on the underlying cause. An infant with benign familial macrocephaly will not usually require any treatment. Infants whose macrocephaly stems from a genetic condition may require life-long treatment and support, including: occupational therapy.
Is microcephaly permanent?
In most cases, the effects of microcephaly are permanent and last a lifetime. In rare cases, severe microcephaly can be life threatening. However, some babies and children experience no symptoms beyond small head size.
Is microcephaly hereditary?
Microcephaly is an autosomal recessive gene disorder. Autosomal means that boys and girls are equally affected. Recessive means that two copies of the gene, one from each parent, are needed to have the condition. Some genetic disorders that cause microcephaly are X-linked.
How is microcephaly transmitted?
Zika virus can be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy, resulting in microcephaly (smaller than normal head size) and other congenital malformations in the infant, collectively referred to as congenital Zika syndrome. Microcephaly is caused by underlying abnormal brain development or loss of brain tissue.
