According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), there are several factors that may increase the risk of stuttering including family history and differences in brain structure. The stuttering usually occurs in children between the ages of 2 and 6, males are more likely to stutter than females. MOH has published a video on its Twitter's page under a hashtag "#أنا_بخير" «#I_am_OK» for all those people suffering from stuttering, in coinciding with the International Stuttering Awareness Day, which is observed on October 22nd, every year. Its theme this year is: «Speak your mind!»
It pointed out that the major symptoms of stuttering include part-word repetition, one-syllable word repetition, prolonging sounds of words, as well as brief silence, or pauses upon uttering a word which may be accompanied with facial or upper body tensions upon finding difficulty in uttering words.
MOH underlined the importance of seeking help when signs of stuttering appear, including that the child continues stuttering for 6-12 months or more, when the child begins to stutter late or after the age of three and half years which often persists, when stuttering becomes more frequent, when there is a family history of stuttering, if the child has other language and speech problems, speaks with difficulty, or his condition is worrying when talking. These awareness activities come as a continuation of MOH’s efforts to maintain the health and safety of all community members, to promote health awareness and to urge individuals to adopt healthy behaviors.