The most common cause of disability is not accidents or workplace injuries but illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, followed closely by arthritis, back pain and problems resulting from lifestyle choices.
PRENATAL CAUSES:
- Marriages between close relations
- Poor nutrition in pregnant mothers
- Fever, infections, chronic illness in pregnant mothers
- Accident or injury during pregnancy
- Excessive smoking, alcohol intake or drug abuse by pregnant mother
- Age of the pregnant mother ; less than 18yrs or more than 35yrs
- Rh incompatibility ; parents having +ve and –ve blood group
- History of disability in the family
- History of previous abortions or miscarriages
- Multiple births i.e. Mother has already given birth to more than 3 children within short duration.
- Multiple pregnancy : if the mother is pregnant with twins or triplets or more
- Mother is suffering from diabetes or high blood pressure
- Exposure to X-Rays or harmful radiations , poisonous substances etc during pregnancy
- Mother has taken medication without consulting doctor
- Severe Anemia or Vitamin Deficiency in pregnant mothers
- Emotional trauma
- Unknown causes
NATAL CAUSES:
- Preterm or premature baby born before 9 months
- Post term after 9 months
- Prolonged labor and difficult birth
- Instrumental or forceps delivery
- Abnormal presentation of the baby ( breech delivery)
- Umbilical cord around the neck
- Low birth weight ( less than 2.5 kg)
- Delayed birth cry leading to delayed oxygen supply to the brain causing irreparable damage
- Respiratory distress or problems in breathing due to choking.
- Twin births delivery
- Accidental trauma to the head during delivery
- Home delivery under unsanitary and unhygienic conditions such as using rusted blade to cut umbilical cord etc can lead to tetanus infection in the child
POST NATAL CAUSES:
- Infection like meningitis, encephalitis, measles, mumps, chicken pox ,polio myelitis etc
- Illnesses like severe Jaundice, epilepsy or convulsions, high fever, heart problems etc
- Road side accidents, fire accidents and trauma due to physical abuse ,falls etc
- Malnutrition and vitamin deficiency
- Birth deformities such as malformation of limbs, cleft lip and palate , hydrocephalus, microcephaly and Down’s syndrome
- Poor sanitation and living conditions
- Terror attacks such as Bomb Blast ,gunshots etc
- Natural Calamities like earthquakes, cyclones etc
- Diabetes causes hearing and visual impairment
- High Blood pressure or hypertension causes stroke leading to paralysis and loss of speech
- Inflammation such as arthritis , spondylysis
- Old age
- Unknown causes
