SPEECH DELAY IN CHILDREN 

A child with a speech delay can be considered when they might use words and phrases to express ideas but be hard to understand.

CAUSES

A speech delay might be due to:

• an oral impairment, like problems with the tongue or palate (the roof of the mouth)
• a short frenulum (the fold beneath the tongue), which can limit tongue movement

Many kids with speech delays have oral–motor problems. These happen when there's a problem in the areas of the brain responsible for speech. This makes it hard to coordinate the lips, tongue, and jaw to make speech sounds. These kids also might have other oral-motor problems, such as feeding problems.

SIGNS

A baby who doesn't respond to sound or vocalize should be checked by a doctor right away. But often, it's hard for parents to know if their child is taking a bit longer to reach a speech or language milestone, or if there's a problem.

Here are some things to watch for. Call your doctor if your child:

• by 12 months: isn't using gestures, such as pointing or waving bye-bye
• by 18 months: prefers gestures over vocalizations to communicate
• by 18 months: has trouble imitating sounds
• has trouble understanding simple verbal requests
• by 2 years: can only imitate speech or actions and doesn't produce words or phrases spontaneously
• by 2 years: says only some sounds or words repeatedly and can't use oral language to communicate more than their immediate needs
• by 2 years: can't follow simple directions
• by 2 years: has an unusual tone of voice (such as raspy or nasal sounding)

Parents are an important part of helping kids who have a speech or language problem.

PREVENTION

Here are a few ways to encourage speech development at home:

Focus on communication. Talk with your baby, sing, and encourage imitation of sounds and gestures.

Read to your child. Start reading when your child is a baby. Look for age-appropriate soft or board books or picture books that encourage kids to look while you name the pictures.

Use everyday situations. To build on your child's speech and language, talk your way through the day. Name foods at the grocery store, explain what you're doing as you cook a meal or clean a room, and point out objects around the house. Keep things simple, but avoid "baby talk."

HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT

Homoeopathy today is a rapidly growing system and is being practiced all over the world. It strength lies in its evident effectiveness as it takes a holistic approach towards the sick individual through promotion of inner balance at mental, emotional, spiritual and physical levels. When developmental delay    is concerned there are many effective medicines available in Homoeopathy, but the selection depends upon the individuality of the patient, considering mental and physical symptoms.

CALCAREA CARONICA —Calcarea carb is one of the top remedies for developmental delay, especially suited to children with red face, flabby muscles, who sweat easily, fat, and catches could very easily. They have large head and abdomen, fontanelles and sutures open, bones soft, develop very slowly. Difficult and delayed dentition.  Profuse sweating during sleep, especially head and chest.

CALCAREA PHOSPHORICA —Calcarea phos is another best remedy for both mental physical developments. It is suited to emaciated children, difficult to stand and slow in learning to walk. Children have sunken, flabby abdomen. Cranial bones are thin and brittle; fontanelles and sutures open too long or close and reopen. Delayed and complicated teething. Children suffering from diarrhea and flatulent complaints. At every attempt to eat, coliky pain in abdomen.  They often suffer from fractures and growing pains due to poor nutrition. Also they often suffer from enlarged glands.

BARYTA CARBONICA —Baryta carbonica is best for scrofulous, dwarfish children, who do not grow. They are both mentally and physically weak. Nutritional disturbances are seen in Baryta carb.  Children, shy of strangers. They hide behind the furniture and keeps the hands over face and peeping through the fingers. They are liable to take cold easily, sore throat from cold, glandular disorders. There is a tendency for enlargement of glands with indurations, especially tonsils. They always have a swollen tonsil. Children with large abdomen is another characteristic symptom. Profuse offensive sweat, especially on feet may be found along with other symptoms.

AETHUSA CYNAPIUM —Aethusa cynapium is another effective remedy for development delay, where the child cannot stand, sit up or hold the head up. Children who lack the power to hold their heads up with no particular ailment. Want of power to stand up. Inability to digest milk is a leading symptom of Aethusa cyapium. Diarrhea from drinking milk. Cannot tolerate milk in any form, it is vomited in large curds as soon as taken, causes weakness and drowsiness. Anguish, crying and show expression of discomfort and discontent.

NATRUM MURIATICUM —Nartrum mur children are poorly nourished on account of digestive disturbances. They talk late, cross, irritable, cry from slightest cause. Emaciation while living well. Emaciation, descending of neck or abdomen. Emaciation most notable in neck.

SILICEA  —Silicea is another effective remedy for developmental delay, where the children are scrofulous, rachitic with large heads.  Defective nutrition, due to imperfect assimilation. Open fontanelles are sutures are seen. Weak ankles, slow in learning to walk. Wasted in body, especially legs.  Distended, hot abdomen. Profuse sweating on head, but lower than Calcarea carb. Offensive sweat on feet and axillae.

TUBERCULINUM —Tuberculinum is also an effective remedy for development delay, where the child is emaciated rapidly, and losing flesh while eating well. In Tuberculinum there is a strong tendency to catch cold easily without knowing how and where; seems to take cold every time he takes breath of fresh air. They are mentally and physically weak. Excessive sweat at night isa leading symptom of Tuberculinum. Children have recurrent attacks of upper respiratory tract infections and also have night fever.