Maturational delay

Table of Contents:

  1. What is maturational delay?
  2. Prognosis
  3. Symptoms
  4. What causes it?
  5. Treatment
  6. Medical specialist

What is developmental delay?

The term maturational delay is used in cases where the child does not have the main characteristics of children of the same age. In this way this disease affects different aspects such as the use of speech, motor skills, socialization and cognitive development. The word or term is not objective, since the existence of a problem is known but it is still early to make an accurate diagnosis. Some pathologies are impossible to distinguish during the infancy of the children, that is why it will be necessary to wait some more years to make a definitive verdict.

Prognosis of the disease

The prognosis of this pathology is very favorable, because the youngest children recover their differences with respect to other children with the passage of time. It will only be necessary that the youngest children have the environment and the appropriate tools to carry out this recovery. The treatment will be focused on rehabilitation and overcoming the maturational delay.

In cases where the child suffers from symptoms of more complex processes that affect the ability to communicate or generate mental disorders, the prognosis will be different. Complications may arise if the child’s retardation is not adequately treated, as the symptoms may worsen and extend their duration into adulthood.

The role of the parents and educators is essential
to detect the maturational delay in advance

Symptoms of developmental delay

The main symptoms of maturational delay are the following:

  • The child does not crawl at the same age as others.
  • After 12 months of age, the child does not babble or express any words.
  • He is not interested in showing his toys to others.
  • Does not know his name when he hears it or does not react.
  • Does not show curiosity about objects that are shown to him/her.
  • Does not react to familiar voices or other sounds.
  • Is not able to imitate adults (another stage of child development).
  • Shows little or no interest in playing with toys or games.
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Causes of maturational delay

Among the most frequent reasons for infantile maturational delay are:

  • Premature birth: occurrence of problems during pregnancy and low birth weight.
  • Lack of stimulation: sometimes the lack of stimulation can be related to some other pathology such as otitis. This can impede hearing and at the same time cause speech delays.
  • Parenting patterns: parents are responsible for producing inappropriate habits in the youngest children.
  • Unknown cause: a certain percentage of cases of maturational delay have no known diagnostic cause.

Treatments for maturational delay

Rehabilitation and education are the basic pillars towards the recovery of the child. As soon as it is observed that the child shows any of the symptoms or signs mentioned above, the specialist should be consulted to begin treatment. It is important to highlight the role of parents and educators, since they are essential to detect the disorder in time.

On the other hand, the medical professional will carry out an examination and will evaluate the development of the child taking the reference of the rest of the children of the same age. The diagnosis will be provisional, because of the nature of the disorder, and the child will remain under review to observe the evolution of the child.

What specialist treats it?

The child neurologist is in charge of treating this pathology. Top Doctors has the best online medical directory to find the professional who best suits the needs of each patient.