WEST-E Special Education Practice Test

Which of the following is NOT a prenatal cause of Intellectual Disability?

1. Environmental influences

2. Inborn errors of metabolism

3. Chromosomal disorders

4. Postnatal infections

The correct answer is: Postnatal infections

The correct answer is related to understanding the distinction between prenatal and postnatal factors in the development of intellectual disabilities. Prenatal causes refer to those conditions or influences that occur during pregnancy and can affect fetal development. Environmental influences, inborn errors of metabolism, and chromosomal disorders all align with prenatal causes, as they may occur during gestation and impact the brain or overall development of the fetus. On the other hand, postnatal infections occur after birth and therefore do not qualify as prenatal causes. These infections, while they can contribute to intellectual disabilities in a developing child, do so only after the individual has been born. Thus, they do not fall under the category of prenatal factors, which is why this answer is correct. Understanding this distinction is essential for identifying causes of intellectual disabilities during the appropriate developmental stage.