Patient's question:
Hello, I am the son of a friend of mine. He is now 4 years old and still cannot speak. He also has difficulty controlling his emotions and has poor memory. He also struggles with social interactions. He has been to the hospital for check-ups, and they said there is a problem with his intelligence.Doctor's answer:
Some congenital metabolic disorders, such as phenylketonuria, histidinemia, galactosemia, and congenital hypothyroidism (cretinism), can avoid intellectual damage or be controlled if diagnosed and treated in the neonatal period. Taking phenylketonuria and cretinism as examples, if diagnosed and treated within 3 months after birth, the majority of affected children can recover normal intelligence. If treatment is delayed beyond 6 months, intellectual damage becomes almost unavoidable. If treatment is not initiated until after 3 to 4 years of age, the child may also face difficulties in physical development.