title: Severe mental retardation in 2 to 24-month-old children in Lahore, Pakistan: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: 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%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Paediatrics, King Edward Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yaqoob
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bashir
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tareen
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Gustavson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nazir
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jalil
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: von Döbeln
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ferngren
mesh_terms: 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