What is neuro developmental delay

Condition analysis:
Neuro-developmental delay (NDD) is a phrase or term which is used to indicate that, for some non-specific reason, the nervous system in a child has not yet fully matured. You may also see NDD referred to as neuro-motor immaturity (NMI). This ‘delay’ or ‘immaturity’ can present or show itself in a variety of ways or signs.

If your child has a specific neurological diagnosis, such as Cerebral Palsy, there will be a pathological/disease-related reason for NDD. This is because certain conditions, like CP, may interfere with ‘normal’ physical development, compromising the sequence of movements and postures needed to end up as an independent, upright individual.

However, NDD can be seen in children for whom there is no pathology and for whom there seems to be no reason for their presenting issues.

NDD, if it persists, is important because the effects on a child and adult may be far-reaching. In general terms, if physical development is compromised, albeit in a small way, this can result in issues with cognition/the ability to interpret information, sensory perception/the ability to process information and expression/the ability to pass on the information received. We all learn through movement and if movement is lacking, insecure or inaccurate, the quality of our learning, both academic and social, is threatened. Thus, children with NDD may present with learning difficulties of varying types and complexity; they may display behavioural and emotional immaturity, and have speech/language/communication and motor/movement, balance and co-ordination difficulties.

Instructions:
Immune dysfunction: Immune reactions during pregnancy, both maternal and of the developing child, may produce neurodevelopmental disorders. One typical immune reaction in infants and children is PANDAS, or Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infection. Another disorder is Sydenham's chorea, which results in more abnormal movements of the body and fewer psychological sequellae. Both are immune reactions against brain tissue that follow infection by Streptococcus bacteria. Susceptibility to these immune diseases may be genetically determined,so sometimes several family members may suffer from one or both of them following an epidemic of Strep infection.

Infectious diseases: Systemic infections can result in neurodevelopmental consequences, when they occur in infancy and childhood of humans, but would not be called a primary neurodevelopmental disorder per se, as for example HIVInfections of the head and brain, like brain abscesses, meningitis or encephalitis have a high risk of causing neurodevelopmental problems and eventually a disorder. For example, measles can progress to subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

A number of infectious diseases can be transmitted either congenitally (before or at birth), and can cause serious neurodevelopmental problems, as for example the viruses HSV, CMV, rubella (congenital rubella syndrome), Zika virus, or bacteria like Treponema pallidum in congenital syphilis, which may progress to neurosyphilis if it remains untreated. Protozoa like Plasmodium or Toxoplasma which can cause congenital toxoplasmosis with multiple cysts in the brain and other organs, leading to a variety of neurological deficits.