Is there any different between autism and birth asphyzia? because we were told that my child had birth asphyzia when i gave birth to him, but he has been doing very well ever since, he is 6 months old now, he started sitting down with support few weeks b4 his 6th months b/day, now he sits very well without support, he laughs, plays,eats well, his neck is very firm,he is trying to crawl now, he has been baby talking ever since,all these i listed are the things we were told he may have problem doing, but,he has been doing perfectly well so far, but i still have my fear as a mother because of what d doc said when i gave birth to him... what other signs do we need to look out for as he is growing? is there a particular age that one can start seeing the signs?

While I don't encourage living in denial, I also don't support actively looking for things that aren't there. Your son is FINE and from what you have stated here. . . he seems to be doing more than fine sef (Sitting without support. . . do you know the average age for that kind of skill is like 7-9months). So why not focus on that instead of looking for signs of illness?

Anyway from what I understand about Birth Asphyxia. . .the child is at his most vulnerable in the first 72 hours of their birth and the odds of long term effects are greatly reduced if therapy is administered within the first 5-6hrs after birth. Long term effects (Which is often based on the severity of the asphyxia) have been stated to be mostly neurological (caused by the lack of oxygen to the brain). . .mild to severe learning disability, palsy, behavioral problems etc.

Honestly,I really don't encourage this. . .Please focus on what your son is able to do and stop letting the fear of what might ruin the joy of what is. Just make sure he doesn't miss his regular checkup and try to do some exercises to help him with his development, especially his fine motor skills. As he grows older, you incorporate the other stuff.

Good Luck!!

Autism is not the same as birth asphyxia. Birth asphyxia is just the series of problems the baby had with oxygen getting to the brain in the process of birthing. It can cause many problems with the baby's development. There are different aspects of a baby's development; motor (movement of large muscle and small muscle groups), cognitive (i.e. problem solving/IQ/'sense' in naija terms), social (how the baby relates to others) and speech development. From your post, your baby seems to be doing well in the motor, social and speech aspects.

Autism is a problem with the social aspects of development so basically the parts you mentioned about your baby laughing and baby talking are the social parts and your baby is doing well so far in that regard. Major signs to look for in a baby that could suggest autism are; does the baby make eye contact with you or others? Does he respond to facial expressions, does he laugh in response to what he is seeing, is he interested in people and the environment? These would be good signs. A baby with autism may be described as a 'good baby' i.e. he never cries, he stays wherever you put him quietly, he is always content by himself. He may not make or sustain eye contact (seems to look at your chin instead of your eyes), may not like to be carried, rocked, or bounced on knee.

Most commonly autism is picked up after a year of age though when the baby does not talk, does not enjoy playing with other kids, does not enjoy interactive games, does not play properly with toys, does things repetitively, may line up toys, has to have things only one way, may spin things over and over.

All the best to you but it sounds like so far so good!

Sisi_Kill: While I don't encourage living in denial, I also don't support actively looking for things that aren't there.

Honestly,I really don't encourage this. . .Please focus on what your son is able to do and stop letting the fear of what might ruin the joy of what is.

Good Luck!!

I agree that you should not live in fear and you should enjoy every moment with your baby, however, I disagree that you should not be on the look out for problems. You absolutely should remain educated and be on the lookout because you have a baby who is at higher risk of developmental issues than others due to the history of birth asphyxia. The reason it is important is because research has shown that early intervention improves outcomes. Therefore, the earlier problems are noted and therapy is started, the better for the child in the long run.

ileobatojo:

I agree that you should not live in fear and you should enjoy every moment with your baby, however, I disagree that you should not be on the look out for problems. You absolutely should remain educated and be on the lookout because you have a baby who is at higher risk of developmental issues than others due to the history of birth asphyxia. The reason it is important is because research has shown that early intervention improves outcomes. Therefore, the earlier problems are noted and therapy is started, the better for the child in the long run.

Okay I never said she shouldn't educate herself. . .just don't make it the primary focus. Unfortunately most people with a family member suffering from some for of ailment tend to look at the person not as a person with a disease but a disease with a person and any psychologist worth his salt will tell you that can be more damaging than the disease itself because it affects the way you treat them. At baby's age, no doubt he has regular doctor visits, so it's not like she is totally on her own dealing with this.

Anyway, I'm sure Momma will do everything possible to ensure baby has the best care and that's all that matters.

Sisi_Kill: While I don't encourage living in denial, I also don't support actively looking for things that aren't there. Your son is FINE and from what you have stated here. . . he seems to be doing more than fine sef (Sitting without support. . . do you know the average age for that kind of skill is like 7-9months). So why not focus on that instead of looking for signs of illness?

Anyway from what I understand about Birth Asphyxia. . .the child is at his most vulnerable in the first 72 hours of their birth and the odds of long term effects are greatly reduced if therapy is administered within the first 5-6hrs after birth. Long term effects (Which is often based on the severity of the asphyxia) have been stated to be mostly neurological (caused by the lack of oxygen to the brain). . .mild to severe learning disability, palsy, behavioral problems etc.

Honestly,I really don't encourage this. . .Please focus on what your son is able to do and stop letting the fear of what might ruin the joy of what is. Just make sure he doesn't miss his regular checkup and try to do some exercises to help him with his development, especially his fine motor skills. As he grows older, you incorporate the other stuff.

Good Luck!!

thanks dear, just that it was very scary when we were told in the hospital..., i was nt myself throughout our stay in d hospital and even after, but i thank God 2day that he is gradually removing that fear. thanks to you all that have responded to this thread.

^^ It's normal to feel that way. Every parent wants their child to be perfectly "normal", whatever that is. My suggestion to you is to try finding out what support groups there are / readily available for you to access.

These could be groups for parents with kids having the same issue. Sometimes, speaking with others who are in the same boat as you helps to alleviate any fears you might have. They could also prove to be a gold mine of helpful information as you get to speak to parents who've "been there" and can easily relate to what you're currently going through.

Speak with your child's doctor / paediatrician regarding this.

Autism and birth asphyxia are really at two extreme ends of paeditrics. Ur child is fine (i.e from what u described). If u had mentioned cerebral palsy I would have been worried.