aetiology
Last edited 01/2021 and last reviewed 09/2022
The most common cause of intellectual developmental disordersis idiopathic; ie no known cause. The number of idiopathic cases fluctuate with newer definitions of diseases. Other possible causes of mental retardation include:
- genetic and metabolic disorders
- gross disease of the brain and cranium
- prenatal damage
- perinatal
- postnatal damage
- social factors