People suffering from Developmental amnesia face acute problems in remembering day to day events and affairs but do not fare so badly when acquiring factual information. It is seen in children who cannot recall certain things before 4 years of age. Such children suffer from comparative absence of memory. From the name of the disease it is evident that this disease is progressive in nature and as a child grows up it assumes greater significance.

The occurrence of developmental amnesia varies according to the gender and race of people. According to the recent studies, female children can recall the incidents of their early childhood much better than their male counterparts. Even the adult females have been found to be more efficient in recalling early memories. The doctors think that this gender difference crops up because of the difference in the ways girls interact in childhood is way different from the way a boy interacts.

Developmental Amnesia Causes

It has been found from the Brain imaging studies that the ailment called developmental amnesia is related to damage caused to hippocampus. It is basically a structure in human brain that plays a significant role in long term memory retention.

The researches indicate that hippocampus is particularly significant to recalling the instances of episodic memory. Children who suffer from developmental amnesia have hippocampus structure with 40 to 60 percent less volume on either side of their brain. However, the surrounding brain areas which are equally crucial for long-term memory may not have any deformity in such children.

A theory suggests that this kind of brain damage is caused by low oxygen supply to the brain. Children who are born prematurely or face other hardships during delivery may develop this ailment. On the other hand, it can also be caused by momentary ceasing of the heartbeat and prolonged epileptic seizures.

This part of the brain is quite susceptible to lack of oxygen and if that occurs it is damaged permanently. However, it should be noted that the theories surrounding developmental amnesia are mostly controversial and its true origin still remains hazy.

Developmental Amnesia Symptoms

Children who suffer from developmental amnesia are considered unreliable and absent minded by others. They often lose track of their stuffs and simply forget to give messages to others.

They fail to meet appointments and can get lost easily. While reading a novel or a long story they can not remember the way things have shaped up. They fail to remember activities that they have performed some times back.

As these children grow up, they are required to keep track of more things and hence require more help from others. Nevertheless they can pick up new facts.

Developmental Amnesia Treatment

There are some medical institutes that are trying to mark the key aspects of this disease. The implementations of repetition techniques as well as similar education oriented training regimes can prove effective in treating the disorder. As a matter of fact, the treatment of developmental amnesia is largely dependant on the root cause and it is handled on personal basis.

Nevertheless, cognitive rehabilitation can prove to be effective in situations involving dealing with memory loss issues. A person who has undergone a tragic situation may respond well to gentle care and affectionate behavior. If the main cause is alcoholism then the person should be kept away from it. Luckily, the people suffering from Alzheimer's disease can avail of several new medications.

In any case, a person suffering from the attacks of developmental amnesia would recuperate well if he is given the care and service of a professional nursing home or medical center. This will help the affected persons as with age they fail to perform commonplace tasks like dressing or bathing on their own.

Another viable option for people suffering from this disease is psychotherapy. This is especially helpful in treating people who have undergone some kind of mental trauma. In certain cases, Hypnosis might be used to let the patients remember forgotten memories.