Prevention

Genetic counseling might be useful in family planning and in identifying hereditary conditions that may cause cognitive deficits.

Early and frequent prenatal care helps to ensure that fetal malnutrition does not occur. Prenatal care also helps to identify certain factors that might increase the risk of subsequent cognitive impairment such as prematurity and spina bifida.

Ethanol-related birth defects represent the most common preventable form of intellectual disability for children in developed countries. An estimated 8% of all cases of mild intellectual disability are a result of prenatal exposure to alcohol.