My son has development delay issue and I am afraid that it can lead to autism. I always think of possible cause of his condition. One of Pediatrician commented that it is possible that lack of oxygen at birth may cause development delays in children since my son is premature and he needs oxygen when he was born.
I sometimes blamed myself for his condition but blaming myself is not helpful so I decided to accept his situation and seek help of professional. As of now, he is having occupational and speech therapy. I hope for the best and improve his situation and pray for miracle that he will eventually catch up with his delays.
According to my internet research, oxygen deprivation or lack of oxygen at birth can have long-term effect for the infant such as disabilities and development delays. These disabilities include cerebral palsy, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), seizures and behavioral issues. These condition requires medication, occupation, physical and behavioral therapies.
Causes of lack of oxygen at birth includes trauma to the infant utero, problems with the placenta, umbilical cord prolapsed, preeclampsia and eclampsia, maternal diabetes with vascular disease, problem with blood circulation to the placenta, cardiac disease, congenital infections of the fetus, drug and alcohol abuse, severe fetal anemia, lung malformations, excessive medication of the mother and shoulder dystocia.