The child has mmd what to do. Characteristics of minimal brain dysfunction in children

Minimal brain dysfunction is a disease of the psychoemotional and behavioral spheres. This pathology occurs due to disorders in the child’s brain that appeared during childbirth or pregnancy, as well as due to improper upbringing. The disease is characterized by deterioration of attention, behavior, memory and motor activity. Correction of the disease is carried out with the help of medications, psychotherapy, and the work of psychologists, teachers and speech therapists.

Minimal brain dysfunction: description of the disease

Minimal brain dysfunction (MCD), MCD) is a complex of psycho-emotional disorders that occurs due to insufficiency of the central nervous system (CNS). This disease appears in children and is characterized by disorders of behavior and emotions, as well as autonomic functions. The causes of this disease are considered to be damage to areas of the cerebral cortex and abnormalities of the central nervous system. Factors in the development of this disease are acute viral diseases and exacerbations of various somatic pathologies of the mother, which are accompanied by prolonged intoxication of the body.

The causes include poor nutrition and metabolic disorders. Pregnancy pathologies, unfavorable environmental conditions, bad habits, and prematurity also affect the development of MMD. This disease can be provoked by rapid labor and neuroinfections. At the age of 3-6 years, MMD can be a consequence of growing up in a dysfunctional family.

Main clinical manifestations

The first symptoms of this syndrome in children can develop after childbirth, in preschool and school age. Each category has its own specific clinical manifestations. Signs of MMD in the first year of a child’s life are characterized by neurological symptoms. When the disease occurs, disturbances occur in the following areas:

attention;
speech;
memory;
motor sphere;
behavior;
emotions;
orientation in space.

In newborns, there is a violation of skeletal muscle tone - tremor and hyperkinesia (suddenly occurring involuntary movements in one or a group of muscles). Symptoms appear spontaneously. They are not associated with the emotional background of the child, in some cases they intensify when crying. There are sleep and appetite disturbances. Children experience pathologies of visual coordination and delays in mental development. At 8-12 months, disturbances in the manipulation of objects appear. Pathologies of the functions of the cranial nerves and increased intracranial pressure develop.

Due to excessive excitability of the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, alternation of diarrhea and constipation is noted. Frequent regurgitation and vomiting are detected. At the age of 1-3 years, MMD is characterized by high activity and excitability. There is a sharp decrease and loss of appetite, as well as sleep disturbance, which is characterized by a long time to fall asleep, restless behavior and early awakening.

These children experience slow weight gain, delayed speech development, reading impairment, and enuresis. At the age of 3 years, patients are characterized by clumsiness, high fatigue, impulsiveness and negativity. Such children can remain motionless for a long time and concentrate on some task or game. They are easily distracted and make a large number of useless and chaotic movements. Children have difficulty withstanding bright light, loud noise, stuffy rooms and hot weather. They get sick in transport, and nausea and vomiting quickly occur. Children have problems at school because of their behavior.

The greatest severity of minimal brain dysfunction is observed in patients when they first enter the team (4-6 years). Such children experience high excitability, increased motor activity or retardation. They have absent-minded attention and memory problems. They have difficulty mastering the school or kindergarten curriculum. Children cannot fully develop writing and reading skills. Counting disorders (acalculia) are noted. The child focuses on his failures, low self-esteem and self-doubt develop. Children grow up selfish and prone to solitude. There is a predisposition to conflicts. Children often renege on promises they make. In a team, the child strives to take a leadership position or completely distance himself from others. As a result, social adaptation disorders, mental disorders and VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia) may appear.

Sick children experience mood lability (swings), outbursts of aggression and anger. In most cases, they confuse “right” and “left” and write letters in reverse. Difficulties in mechanical memorization are noted.

Children have impaired fine motor skills and articulation. They do not perceive other people's speech well and do not absorb information by ear. Infants experience increased moodiness, gastrointestinal diseases and seizures. The consequence of minimal brain dysfunction in school-age children is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The consequences of MMD in adults are irritability, sudden changes in mood, and impulsive behavior. Difficulties in mastering skills are noted. Patients complain of awkward movements.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of MMD is established on the basis of anamnesis, laboratory and instrumental research methods. Information received from the patient makes it possible to identify possible causes and determine primary symptoms, and at the age of 3 to 6 years, the dynamics of clinical manifestations and their severity. To make a correct diagnosis, there are certain criteria:

first appearance of symptoms before 7 years of age;
preservation for six months (minimum);
the occurrence of symptoms in at least two social areas.

When examining a newborn, much attention is paid to checking reflexes. To establish a diagnosis, school-age children are recommended to be examined by a psychologist and undergo psychodiagnostic techniques, such as the Wechsler test, “Luria - 90”. General laboratory tests do not give results.

To assess the condition of the brain, central nervous system and cerebral circulation, electro-, rheo-, echoencephalography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are performed. The last two methods help determine the decrease in the volume of the cerebral cortex in the frontal and parietal regions, and a decrease in the size of the cerebellum. To rule out fractures, an x-ray of the skull bones is necessary.

Differential diagnosis is needed. This type of study depends on the age of the child and the onset of the disease. It is carried out with diseases such as:

traumatic brain injuries;
neuroinfections;
cerebral palsy;
schizophrenia.

Any child is extremely active. Young children tend to run around endlessly; they make a lot of sudden movements that scare their mothers. The kids torment their elders with a huge number of questions and constantly pester them. However, every child has the patience to play with a construction set, leaf through a book, or sit with a coloring book.

If your child doesn't sit still or engage in quiet activities at all, this may indicate minimal brain dysfunction.

Signs and causes of MMD

The main signs of MMD boil down to behavioral disorders. This may be attention deficit, hyperactivity, or a tendency to get tired quickly.

These signs serve as a signal for parents; having noticed them, mothers and fathers should show their child to a specialist. There may be several reasons for MMD. The most common deviation in the formation of the nervous system while in the womb.

Other reasons may include social problems. This is a tense conflict situation in the family, an unwanted pregnancy, a low level of parental culture. Heredity also influences the formation of the nervous system.

Treatment of MMD

If you have certain signs that can be associated with MMD, you should consult a pediatrician and then a neurologist. The sooner the condition is corrected, the fewer negative consequences will remain with the child for life. MMD can be cured without any problems.

The main thing is the correct attitude of parents to the problem, the availability of psychological and pedagogical support, and the use of special medications. You can’t do without active movement.

Active movement is aimed at developing coordination of movement and dexterity appropriate to age. The child should be given sports-related loads; competitions should not be held, because they contribute to the imbalance of the emotional state.

Psychological and pedagogical support should be provided not only by specialists. The concern of parents comes first. The child’s viewing of TV programs is limited, computer games are excluded, the child is not taken to noisy places, and large companies are avoided. The baby must strictly adhere to the daily routine and play with educational toys.

Parents should try to improve their child's memory and attention. Parents should also monitor their speech and avoid reproaches, shouting, and swearing. Communication with the baby is based on a friendly attitude; speech should be soft, calm, and restrained.

If the 2 methods given above do not produce any results, you need to turn to drug support. Self-medication is unacceptable here. Doctors usually prescribe antidepressants and psychostimulants.

Symptoms of MMD

Symptoms of this disease appear in preschool age. If the signs described above persist for 6 months or more, you should definitely consult a doctor. At the same time, symptoms of MMD appear not only at home, but also during stay in a children's group. The main signs of MMD:

hyperactivity;
impulsiveness;
low level of attention.

Such children run and jump a lot, twirl a lot, cannot sit quietly in one place, they can make movements that do not carry any meaning. There are other behavioral characteristics:

the child cannot play quiet games;
he cannot do what he was told, bringing the matter to completion;
constantly distracted by any irritants;
often loses things;
makes many mistakes when performing any task;
cannot listen carefully, does not perceive information by ear, while asking questions, interrupting;
gives an answer to a question without listening to it, without delving into the essence;
shows unreasonable aggression;
cannot play with peers without conflicts because he violates the rules of the game.

MMD can disrupt the entire period of a child’s development, so it is necessary to adequately treat the problem and take all measures to eliminate the disease. A neurologist and speech therapist, pediatrician and psychologist will help parents in the fight against disorders.

With timely treatment, the problem can be eliminated quite quickly, the baby will develop harmoniously and achieve good results.

In childhood, all children have mobility, lively facial expressions, often changing moods, impressionability and excessive attention to everything new. If in your child these qualities and properties of the nervous system are excessively sharpened and increased, then you can give him a diagnosis of “minimal brain dysfunction” in absentia. This term became widespread in the 1960s. At that time, it was used in relation to children experiencing learning difficulties, as well as those suffering from pronounced behavioral disorders.

Table of contents:

MMD - what is it?

Minimal brain dysfunction is one of the types of neuropsychiatric disorders in childhood. This disorder occurs in 5% of preschool children and 20% of schoolchildren.

Main symptoms of MMD– disinhibition of attention, increased excitability and mobility. The child cannot sit still for more than five minutes. He constantly needs to run somewhere, strive. Why? The attention of such a child is very quickly depleted, which causes fatigue, which he relieves with physical activity. This baby is attracted to bright objects. But due to increased fatigue, the baby’s attention is saturated, which makes it difficult to organize voluntary activities. Therefore, after playing with the machine for three minutes, the child immediately throws it away and grabs a new toy. Children with MMD are very restless, restless, and noisy. By having children around them, they often become the cause of fights and buffoonery.

Causes of MMD

MMD occurs due to disturbances in the structure of the child's brain. The appearance of such disorders is influenced by many reasons, which can be divided into prenatal (before childbirth), natal (during childbirth) and postnatal (after childbirth). In the first three months, when the fetus’s nervous system begins to develop, any harm can cause pathology. Such hazards include not only infections suffered by the mother during pregnancy (measles, scarlet fever, influenza, etc.), but also the use of alcohol, drugs, antibiotics from the “cin” group, as well as smoking. Bruises and falls that injure the abdominal area, Rh factor incompatibility, threats of miscarriage, metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases of the mother will also negatively affect the child. In addition, poor ecology, increased radiation, and chemical poisoning negatively affect not so much the woman as the baby in her stomach. These factors pose a danger to the fetus throughout the entire period of pregnancy, but they are especially harmful in the first three to four months, when organs and functional systems are formed.

Causes of MMD that occur during childbirth include: labor that is too fast or too long, an overdose of anesthesia during cesarean section, unsuccessful application of forceps, asphyxia and spinal injury in the newborn. If a disorder that occurs in a child is associated with the natal period, then to some extent this is due to the unprofessionalism of doctors.

Reasons that negatively affect brain function after birth include infectious diseases, operations accompanied by prolonged and strong anesthesia, concussions, bruises and head injuries, diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, metabolic disorders, and somatic weakness of the baby. These are the main causes of disturbances in brain function.

The impact of MMD on child development

Since with MMD all brain systems are delayed in their development, this negatively affects all cognitive processes of the child: thinking, attention, perception, speech. General and also suffers. The baby is awkward, clumsy, he constantly fidgets in place and spins around. Problems also arise in the emotional-volitional sphere: children with MMD are irritable, do not adapt well to changing situations, and do not understand what distance should be when communicating with an adult.
Despite increased talkativeness, a child suffering from minimal brain dysfunction exhibits speech impairment. Harm leading to
changes in the structure of the brain, negatively affect Broca's center and Wernicke's center, which are responsible for the reproduction and perception of speech. The first words and phrases appear 5-10 months later than normal. With adequate training, children's active and passive vocabulary is enriched, and by the age of 6-7, their everyday speech returns to normal. However, a narrowed vocabulary manifests itself in conditions of monologue speech (retelling what has been read, a story on a certain topic, a story based on a picture). In such situations, the use of words turns out to be inaccurate, speech usually consists of verbs and nouns, and it is difficult for a child to form a new word from a familiar one (for example, instead of “sea,” a child may say “morenka”). The child's speech is slurred and unclear. The sentence is constructed in an extremely primitive way, the words are rearranged, instead of telling a story based on a picture, the child simply lists the objects drawn. The child experiences difficulties in understanding constructions in the instrumental and genitive cases (for example, “take the pasta with a fork,” “father’s son”), phrases reflecting temporal and spatial characteristics, and sentences with unusual word order are puzzling (“Masha caught up with Petya. Who is the fastest ?”), as well as comparative constructions (“Seryozha is older than Vanya, but younger than Petya. Who is the oldest?”).

All of the above leads to children having difficulties learning to read. It is difficult for children to connect letters into a word; they rearrange the letters, confuse them in appearance, and the pace of reading is slow. As a result, the child simply loses interest in reading, replacing it with looking at illustrated books. Sometimes, along with these symptoms, the child may have bradyllalia, tachylalia, OHP to varying degrees, and stuttering. A frequent companion to MMD is tongue-tiedness, reaching the point of Hottentotism (when speech is absolutely incomprehensible). In children with MMD, not only oral but also written speech is impaired. Children write from left to right, the writing contains mirroring, substitutions, omissions, rearrangements of letters and syllables, there is a continuous spelling of words, incorrect transfer of syllables, children confuse lowercase and capital letters. Due to impaired attention, the child simply does not see these mistakes and therefore does not correct them.

If at school age a child with MMD has difficulties in behavior and learning, then at early and preschool age MMD is a problem of a neurological nature. The sooner the correction of MMD is started, the easier it will be for the child in the future. It is important for every parent to understand that the child’s behavior is not intentional, but is caused by a severe neuropsychic disorder. Therefore, a calm, peaceful environment should reign in the house without shouting, excessive noise and quarrels. This will help smooth out the tension that periodically reigns around the baby. The child will benefit from daily walks and physical exercise. In education, you need to adhere to the middle line: no punishment, but a minimum of permissiveness. You should give your child instructions (but not more than one), so he will develop responsibility for his actions and the skill of regulating behavior. A clear daily routine is important: the child should go to bed and get up at the same time. It is important for a baby with MMD to get enough sleep: this will reduce his already excessive excitability.

You should protect your child from crowded places and do not rush to send him to kindergarten or gymnasium. Some children are prescribed drug therapy: specially selected medications improve attention and relieve excessive physical activity. To correct your child’s speech disorders, you must consult a speech therapist. He will draw up an individual correction program and give his recommendations.

Video: Neurology in healthy children - Dr. Komarovsky

At home, to improve speech, parents need to communicate with their child more often; their speech should be clear, calm, and expressive. It is useful to read books to your child. When talking about what you read, instill interest in the reading process. There should also be exercises for the development of gross and fine motor skills (fastening and unfastening buttons, lacing, sorting out beads, etc.), as well as learning how to hold a pencil correctly. This will prepare your baby's hand for writing.
No matter how complex the disorder, it is important to remember that the love and care of loved ones play a decisive role in the correction process.

We won’t be wrong if we say that we all love our restless kids.

It is the spontaneity of childhood that touches parents; children charm us with their irrepressible energy, their active interest in learning about life.

Yes, it is necessary to monitor the younger generation.

Sometimes all you have to do is turn away, and your child is already checking the pills in the medicine cabinet at home or managing the linen closet. But even the fastest, most restless children have fairly calm periods when they are intently engaged in some activity - drawing, sculpting, painting or making something extremely important from a construction set.

If your child simply physically cannot sit still for more than a minute, cannot concentrate his attention, starts doing something and immediately quits, it is possible that a diagnosis of minimal brain dysfunction will appear in his medical record when he goes to the doctor ( MMD).

Synonyms of this term are:

School maladjustment syndrome
Attention Deficit Disorder

But, no matter what the pathology is called, all these terms refer to minor behavioral disorders.

Causes of MMD

Unfavorable pregnancy of mother
Pathologies of the perinatal period
Pathological effects on the nervous system of a child at an early age

Diagnosis of MMD

The diagnosis of MMD is made by a pediatric neurologist or psychiatrist based on a specific set of symptoms.

To be diagnosed with MMD, a child must have three persistent syndromes.

Increased impulsivity
Hyperactivity
Attention deficit

All these symptoms must be present in the child for a fairly long period, at least six months, and such symptoms are observed both at home and in the children's group. The age limit for recognizing symptoms is 7 years.

Symptoms of minimal brain dysfunction

Let's take a closer look at each of the MMD syndromes.

Increased impulsivity
The child constantly interferes with his peers’ play, interferes, and pesters
Shouts out in class
Fights often
Quickly answers questions without listening to the end of the question

2. Hyperactivity:

Can't sit still
Doesn't play quiet games
Moves hands and feet aimlessly
Spinning, running, climbing somewhere
talks a lot

3. Attention deficit:

Easily distracted
Doesn't complete tasks, quits, takes on new ones
Cannot organize independent activities
Cannot maintain attention for long

MMD is most often detected when a child begins to attend a child care institution - kindergarten or school.

Sometimes the disease is detected at the age of 12 - 14 years. This period is often associated with hormonal changes in the body.

Treatment of minimal brain dysfunction

Treatment should be comprehensive, including pedagogical behavior correction, sessions with psychologists, a friendly, calm family environment, and drug therapy.

Drug treatment is prescribed by a psychiatrist or neurologist, if there is no effect from the ongoing corrective pedagogical measures.

The sooner correctional classes with a specialist begin, the greater the likelihood of recovery.

Minimal brain dysfunction in children

Minimal brain dysfunction in children (MCD)– these are the mildest forms of cerebral pathology, arising as a result of a wide variety of reasons, but having the same type of severe symptoms and manifesting themselves in functional disorders, reversible and normalized as the brain grows and matures.

This is the pace of development. It most often manifests itself in hyperdynamic syndrome, less often in hypodynamic syndrome. MMD manifests itself most strongly in children at school age.

Causes of MMD

1. Prenatal: mother's rubella disease during pregnancy, taking certain medications, severe pregnancy, especially the first half: toxicosis, threat of miscarriage, hypoxia (lack of oxygen), premature or post-term birth, incompatibility of the blood of mother and child, elevated body temperature, food mother's poisoning.

2. Perinatal: birth trauma.

3. Postnatal: poisoning, encephalitis, meningitis, carbon monoxide poisoning, heart disease.

4. Genetic: parents of sick children say that they experienced the same manifestations in childhood. So, out of 50 fathers who had increased physical activity, they were hyperactive in childhood.

5. Biochemical disorders in the body.

6. Impaired maturation of the central nervous system.

Signs diseases MMD in children

1. Rapid fatigue and reduced performance, while general physical fatigue may be absent.

2. The possibilities of self-government in any type of activity are sharply reduced.

3. Pronounced disturbances in the child’s activities during emotional activation (a lot more to do, emotional stability/instability).

4. Violation of visual-motor coordination (the child cannot concentrate for a long period). Difficulties arise in the transition of information from short-term to long-term memory. The child has poorly developed imaginative thinking, and at school - abstract thinking. Thinking is disorderly, mostly concrete.

5. The child has a reduced vocabulary, paucity of information, inaccuracy in defining concepts and types of differentiation, and also has a speech disorder - slow development, irregularity, and possibly mild hearing impairment.

Types of MMD

1. Adynamic – the child has exceptionally increased fatigue (put his head on the table, looks into the distance). Concentration of attention is possible for only 15 minutes. Doesn't sit well. Attention is unstable, there is no distribution of attention. It's difficult to do two things at the same time. Such a child definitely needs daytime sleep and rest. Poverty of the figurative sphere of ideas. Inertia and lethargy are characteristic; strong emotions exhaust the baby.

2. Reactive – the child looks extremely active, increased disinhibition, he wants to touch every object. Children of this type can be aggressive and conflict-ridden, insensitive. Conflicts with the teacher arise more often. The child gets tired quickly, memory may be normal, but attention is not stable. Reactive children can learn. They behave better in the adult group. These children are treated with sedatives.

3. Regidny – such a child is characterized by slow speech. Most often, parents or adults begin to rush the baby, which slows down speech development even more. At school age, a child spends a long time preparing for a lesson, for a lesson. The task of an adult: do not rush! There should be a calm environment. Memory is usually normal, and stability of attention and concentration is average, low switchability of attention. With the right approach, by the 5th – 7th grade, everything returns to normal for the child.

4. Active – the child is more often involved in activities, fatigue occurs in the middle. No amount of reproach or control can change a child’s behavior. Such children are considered disorganized and undisciplined. Adults try to involve the child in self-government training, where such a child quickly becomes overtired. Intelligence does not suffer. By 7th - 8th grade everything returns to normal.

5. Subnormal – increased fatigue. The child can adjust his activities. Children of this type rarely get tired, but they themselves do not notice it. Intelligence lasts throughout the day. If you don’t correct your attention, then by grades 3–5 everything will return to normal.

Corrective work with children suffering from MMD

It is necessary not to influence the defect, but to bypass it, and only then will there be a result. You need to work to preserve brain functions, not to correct attention, memory, imaginative and abstract thinking. American psychologist Glen Doman says that such children need to be worked through sensory development and the development of creative thinking.

1. It is necessary to gently include the child in school after 6 years.

2. Four-year primary education.

3. Avoid overtiring children during the day (lessons should be no more than 30 minutes).

4. Do not leave such a child in an after-school group.

5. In first grade, write as little as possible.

6. First teach reading, then writing.

7. Show and tell more often.

8. You should not ask for additional information.

9. Give 2 – 3 minutes of time to answer.

10. Learn a long poem in small portions. When retelling, you need the parents to retell it themselves first.

11. Development of intelligence through sensory development (this is the development of perception and the formation of ideas about the external properties of objects: their shape, color, size, position in space, as well as smell, taste, etc.) and creative thinking .

12. At the beginning of the day there should be mathematics and Russian.