Severe mental retardation in 2 to 24-month-old children in Lahore, Pakistan: a prospective cohort study.
Severe mental retardation (developmental quotient (DQ) < 50) was investigated in 1303 children from 2 to 24 months of age, born during 1984-87 in four population groups representing different socio-economic levels in and around Lahore, Pakistan. The incidence per 1000 live births was 22 in the periurban slum, 9 in the urban slum, 7 in the village and 4 in the upper middle class group. The aetiology was prenatal in 79%, perinatal in 14% and untraceable in 7% of cases. Down's syndrome was the most common cause of severe mental retardation (36%). Impairments were studied at 2 years of age. Impairment of language was present in all, while locomotor dysfunction was seen in 89% of cases. Epilepsy and cerebral palsy were each present in 22% of cases. Mortality among these severely mentally retarded children was 36%.
Yaqoob
M
M
Department of Social and Preventive Paediatrics, King Edward Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan.
Bashir
A
A
Tareen
K
K
Gustavson
K H
KH
Nazir
R
R
Jalil
F
F
von Döbeln
U
U
Ferngren
H
H
D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000150:complications; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D025063:Chromosome Disorders; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012923:Social Class