There often are no physical signs of mild forms of ID, although there may be characteristic physical traits when it is associated with a genetic disorder (e.g., Down syndrome).The level of impairment ranges in severity for each person. Some of the early signs can include:
Delays in reaching, or failure to achieve milestones in motor skills development (sitting, crawling, walking)
Slowness learning to talk, or continued difficulties with speech and language skills after starting to talk
Difficulty with self-help and self-care skills (e.g., getting dressed, washing, and feeding themselves)
Poor planning or problem-solving abilities
Behavioral and social problems
Failure to grow intellectually, or continued infant childlike behavior
Problems keeping up in school
Failure to adapt or adjust to new situations
Difficulty understanding and following social rulesIn early childhood, mild ID (IQ 50–69) may not be obvious or identified until children begin school. Even when poor academic performance is recognized, it may take expert assessment to distinguish mild intellectual disability from specific learning disability or emotional/behavioral disorders. People with mild ID are capable of learning reading and mathematics skills to approximately the level of a typical child aged nine to twelve. They can learn self-care and practical skills, such as cooking or using the local mass transit system. As individuals with intellectual disability reach adulthood, many learn to live independently and maintain gainful employment. About 85% of persons with ID are likely to have mild ID. Moderate ID (IQ 35–49) is nearly always apparent within the first years of life. Speech delays are particularly common signs of moderate ID.
Permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus (PNDM) is a newly identified and potentially treatable form of monogenic diabetes. This type of neonatal diabetes is caused by activating mutations of the KCNJ11 gene, which codes for the Kir6.2 subunit of the beta cell KATP channel. This disease is considered to be a type of maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY). Cause
It can be associated with GCK, KCNJ11, INS, and ABCC8. Diagnosis
This results in congenital impairment of insulin release, although in the past, this was always being thought to be unusually early type 1 diabetes mellitus. The insulin deficiency results in intrauterine growth retardation with birth weight small for gestational age. The diabetes is usually diagnosed in the first 3 months of life due to continuing poor weight gain, polyuria, or diabetic ketoacidosis. Rare cases have been recognized as late as 6 months of age. Treatment
Remarkably, this type of diabetes often responds well to sulfonylureas and insulin may not be necessary. More severe mutations in the KCNJ11 gene can cause early-onset diabetes which does not respond to the sulfonylurea drugs, as well as a syndrome of developmental delay and neurological features called the DEND syndrome. These forms of diabetes are very rare conditions, appearing in about 1/100,000 to 1/200,000 live births, and accounting for about 1/1000 of type 1 diabetes cases.