title: Comparison of respiratory mortality in the profoundly mentally retarded and in the less retarded.
abstract: Autopsy records of 600 profoundly retarded and 405 less retarded were examined for a thirty-one-year period at Pacific State Hospital. The profoundly retarded were found to have more respiratory infections at autopsy, and more deaths of such infections. Profound retardation was a particularly outstanding risk when in combination with epilepsy, inability to ambulate, and developmental cranial anomalies. Non-infectious respiratory morbidity and mortality are more common in the less retarded, apparently because of their living longer to develop these complications.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001996:Bronchopneumonia / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D007360:Intelligence; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D012886:Skull / Q000002:abnormalities