Handicapped children for students of community medicine which is an important topics both for undergraduate and post graduate students.

1. HANDICAPPED
CHILDREN

2. HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
 "Handicap" may be defined as "reduction
in a person's capacity to fulfil a social role
as a consequence of an impairment,
inadequate training for the role, or other
circumstances. Applied to children, the
term usually refers to the presence of an
impairment or other circumstances that
are likely to interfere with normal growth
and development or with the capacity to
learn“.

8. CONTD.
 This category includes children who are blind, deaf and
mute; those with hare-lip, cleft palate, talipes; and the
"crippled" - e.g., resulting from polio,cerebral palsy,
congenital heart disease, road accidents, burns,
injuries, etc.
 These conditions fall into three broad causative groups
:
 (a) birth defects
 (b) infections, and
 (c) accidents.
 These are all preventable to a large extent through
adequate prenatal,natal, postnatal services, and genetic
counselling.

13. CONTD.
 The known causative factors include the following :
 (a) Genetic conditions : Down's syndrome,
Klinefelter syndrome, PKU, Tay-Sach disease,
galactosaemia, microcephaly, congenital
hypothyroidism involving both single and multiple
gene action and chromosomal abnormalities.
 (b) Antenatal factors : These comprise neural tube
defects, Rh incompatibility, certain infections (e.g.,
rubella, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, syphilis),
drugs and irradiation.

14. CONTD.
 c) Perinatal factors : These include birth injuries,
hypoxia and cerebral palsy.
 (d) Postnatal factors : Head injuries, accidents,
encephalitis, physical and chemical agents such as
lead and mercury poisoning may result in mental
retardation.
 (e) Miscellaneous Maternal malnutrition, protein-
energy malnutrition, iodine deficiency (endemic
goitre), consanguineous marriages, pregnancy
after the age of 40 (late marriages) are all known to
be associated with mental retardation.