Patient's question:
The baby is two years and four months old and doesn't talk much; he understands everything we say but never speaks back. Children of the same age as him can already speak, and even those who are six or seven months younger can say long sentences. My baby was just about to respond when he suddenly had a fever. We got medicine from the village, but it didn't help, and since then, he hasn't talked much. The family says it might be because of the medicine. The other day, I went to a baby store, and the staff there said it might be a lack of DHA, so I bought a bottle. At two years and four months, my baby doesn't talk—is it because of the medicine or a lack of DHA? Should I really give him DHA supplements?Doctor's answer:
DHA contains unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for the growth and development of the brain, retina, and other organs. However, it may not necessarily be effective in improving delayed language development. If a child has delayed language development, it is essential to first identify the cause before implementing interventions. The main causes of delayed language development include hearing impairment, intellectual disability, autism, lack of language exposure, and developmental dysphasia. Some children have developmental motor dysphasia, where their comprehension skills match their age, but they only have language expression difficulties. As they grow older, their language skills may gradually surpass those of typical children. It is recommended to first undergo a language development assessment at a hospital.