Neonatal Factors: Affecting Intelligence of the Child

Source: The Children's Hospital Mumbai

DEFINITION

Intelligence is defined as general cognitive problem-solving skill. A mental ability involved in reasoning, perceiving relationship and analogies, calculatory, learning quickly, etc.

It's an ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills

There are many factors which affect the intelligence of the child.

The foetus and neonate may be exposed to a variety of exogenous influences that are potentially damaging to the brain during the time that brain growth and differentiation are most rapid.

THE MAJOR CATEGORIES ARE:

• Introduction of neurotoxins into the body.
• Withhold of essential nutrition.
• Disruptions of the mechanism of oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange.
• Genetics: Our genes do influence intelligence.

PRENATAL ENVIRONMENT

The prenatal stage is extremely important as a fertilized egg is shaped the form of a human being during this period. Rapid development takes place in major organ and brain cells.

If a thing goes wrong during this period the effect is nearly irreversible or very difficult to correct.

THE MAJOR PRENATAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ARE:

• MOTHERS NUTRITION

An undernourished mother cannot provide adequate nutrition to a growing baby. As a result, the baby is likely to be underweight and more susceptible to diseases. Lack of nutrition would have an adverse effect on neural development and intelligence.

• MOTHERS EMOTIONAL STATE

Anxious and tense mother is also likely to deliver an infant who is irritable and shows the problem in sleeping and eating.

• ILLNESS OF MOTHER

Maternal disease like rubella, syphilis AIDS, DM, and high BP may produce a permanent adverse effect on baby The brain of the baby would either damaged or not grow properly. The intellect development may get affected.

• MOTHERS USE OF DRUGS

Drugs taken by mother can have a tragic effect on unborn babies such as 

• Prenatal exposure to repeated doses of synthetic glucocorticoid eg: Dexamethasone and betamethasone
• Alcohol and nicotine (smoking) is very dangerous for pregnant mother.

The unborn baby may develop fetal alcohol syndrome which is a condition where neonatal mental growth is retarded.

Drugs use in mother for treatment of thyrotoxicosis

Hypothyroidism in Mother

• BIRTH COMPLICATIONS

If the baby suffers from birth complications such as lack of oxygen at the time of birth e.g.: APGAR < 7 at that time the baby may suffer from permanent brain damage

He would be born as a mentally retarded child about whom very little can be done.

POSTNATAL FACTORS

APGAR score:  < 7 associated with lower intelligence in later life.

Perinatal events: Extremely low birth weight baby

LBW baby

SGA baby

All associated with low intelligence

LBW -----> Lower IQ

Preterm/ SGA -----> Lowest IQ

Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Nutritional deprivation of essential micronutrients (Iron, Zinc, Folate, Iodine, B12 and protein deficiency) to newborn in early life associated with low intelligence.

Placental thickness was positively associated with higher IQ.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Improvement in nutritional policy has been implicated in increased IQ.

• Prenatal and early nutrition are linked to the brain structure, behavior, and intelligence.
• Providing high nutrition diet to very premature babies can help to reduce the loss of brain size and IQ which often experience by these babies
• Mothers IQ have a significant correlation with her offspring irrespective of whether the offspring were breastfed or not.
• Breastfeeding was linked to increasing IQ, If the infant had as SNP coding for “C” rather than “G” allele base within the FADSZ gene, Those with “G” allele shows no advantage.
• Children of upper socio-economic society are exposed to more intellectual stimulation and get better social opportunities and nurtured better nutrition all these are believed to influence their intellectual development in a positive direction. The index of SES is based on.
• Parental education
• Occupation and income

The higher is the socio-economic status of the parents higher is the IQ of the child.

GENETICS

Our genes do influence intelligence.

Our brain structure and functionality contribute to our level of intelligence.

Specific factors affecting IQ include:

• Size and shape of the frontal lobe of the brain
• Amount of Blood and chemical activity in the frontal lobe.
• The total amount of gray matter in the brain.
•  The overall thickness of cortex and glucose metabolic rate.

MESSAGE TO TAKE HOME

Due attention to ensuring a healthy environment is necessary for any child to have fuller development of intellectual capabilities.