Causes of Huge Rise in Developmental Disorders
Why are they on the rise?
In today’s rapidly evolving world, we are moving farther away from the natural evolutionary path that shaped our biology over millennia. This shift is having profound impacts on children’s development, particularly in the realm of developmental disorders.
All Developmental Disorders can be traced back to dramatic changes in lifestyle, technology, nutriton, and parenting practices, which are influencing early childhood experiences in ways that our bodies and brains are not fully adapted to.
One major factor is the lack of understanding around pre-conception and prenatal influences, i.e. the health and wellbeing of mother and father at conception. Stressful pregnancies, the increasing prevalence of unnatural or induced births, C-sections, and traumatic deliveries can all interfere with a child’s neurological development from the start.
These early disturbances, coupled with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the rise of technology, are creating environments where children are exposed to excessive screen time, fast food, and ultra-processed diets high in sugar.
These dietary habits contribute to poor nutrition, further impairing brain development during critical growth periods.
Additonally, overprotective parenting practices have led to a reduction in natural movement. The overuse of car seats, prams, swings, and swaddling, combined with a lack of active play, limits the physical development necessary for motor skills and healthy brain function. Movement is vital for correct neural integration, and when children miss key movement milestones or fail to engage in enough physical activity, their Primitive Reflexes may remain unintegrated.
Dysfunctional breathing patterns, another by product of modern lifestyles, further exacerbates these developmental challenges.
These factors—poor nutrition, reduced movement, unintegrated primitive reflexes, and environmental stressors—contribute to immature brain networks, leaving children in states of involuntary control. As a result, they are more likely to face developmental disorders, which manifest as difficulties in cognitive, behavioural, and emotional regulation. Understanding the true causes of these disorders requires a closer examination of how modern environments are disrupting the natural developmental processes that children need for healthy growth.
