Stuttering Causes & Risks

Causes

The cause of stuttering is not completely understood. Some experts have suggested that stuttering may occur when:

A child's ability to speak does not match his verbal demands
Psychological factors in a child’s life (eg, mental illness, extreme stress)
Problems occur in the connections between muscles, nerves, and areas of the brain that control speech
Problems in the part of the brain that controls the timing of speech muscle activation

Muscles and Nerves Involved in Speech

Risk Factors

These factors increase your chance of developing stuttering. Tell your doctor if you have any of these risk factors:

Family history of stuttering (There is increasing evidence to support a genetic link in stuttering.)
Sex: male
Age: between 2-6 years of age

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