Wednesday, April 25, 2007 3:00 PM
Just recently, i was talking to my dad and he said that my mum almost became a cretin. But he said that we shouldn't be ashamed of it, because the reason she didn't become a cretin was because her IQ is really high! He said he could have given her treatment, but since she was normal, he decided not to do anything, or she could become overly...
Anyway, if you're wondering what a cretin is, it is a person who has been affected with cretinism which is a condition of severely stunted physical and mental growth due to untreated congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones. It is NOT a term used to insult people. haha.
If untreated, it results in mild to severe impairment of both physical and mental growth and development. (Unless in special cases like my mum's.) "Neurological impairment may be mild, with reduced muscle tone and coordination, or so severe that the person cannot stand or walk. Cognitive impairment may also range from mild to so severe that the person is nonverbal and dependent on others for basic care. Thought and reflexes are slower."
Some signs of cretinism may be thickened skin, and protruding abdomen.
There are also different types of cretinism:
-Sporadic
-Genetic
-Endemic
Sporadic and genetic cretinism is caused by the an abnormal development or function of the fetal thyroid gland. However, it has been almost totally eliminated as there is a way to detect it early and treat it.
Endemic cretinism however, is caused by a defficiency in iodine, and is a major health problem in the world. This is such as iodine is needed to synthesise thyroid hormones. It might be found in many foods, however it is not present in all soils in adequate amounts. Many inland areas on all continents have soils that lack iodine. This is a cause of great concern for populations living in those areas, especially those without an outside source of food.
Anyway, if you're wondering what a cretin is, it is a person who has been affected with cretinism which is a condition of severely stunted physical and mental growth due to untreated congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones. It is NOT a term used to insult people. haha.
If untreated, it results in mild to severe impairment of both physical and mental growth and development. (Unless in special cases like my mum's.) "Neurological impairment may be mild, with reduced muscle tone and coordination, or so severe that the person cannot stand or walk. Cognitive impairment may also range from mild to so severe that the person is nonverbal and dependent on others for basic care. Thought and reflexes are slower."
Some signs of cretinism may be thickened skin, and protruding abdomen.
There are also different types of cretinism:
-Sporadic
-Genetic
-Endemic
Sporadic and genetic cretinism is caused by the an abnormal development or function of the fetal thyroid gland. However, it has been almost totally eliminated as there is a way to detect it early and treat it.
Endemic cretinism however, is caused by a defficiency in iodine, and is a major health problem in the world. This is such as iodine is needed to synthesise thyroid hormones. It might be found in many foods, however it is not present in all soils in adequate amounts. Many inland areas on all continents have soils that lack iodine. This is a cause of great concern for populations living in those areas, especially those without an outside source of food.