Clinical analysis of 1048 children with developmental delay.
BACKGROUND
Children with developmental delay (DD) have a variety of problems in developmental functions. The purposes of this study were to analyze the underlying diseases and risk factors in children with different functional delays.


METHODS
We collected data on 1048 children who underwent assessments of developmental function, related diseases, and risk factors. All children were classified into 6 functional delay groups: cognitive, speech, motor, pervasive, global, and non-specific DDs. Differences in related diseases and risk factors of the 6 functional delay groups were determined.


RESULTS
Most children had global (51.2%), speech (21.9%), and motor (13.9%) delays. Approximately 62.8% of children were associated with biological factors (19% with genetic defects or congenital anomalies, 16.5% with central nervous system lesions, 13.9% with prematurity/low birth body weight, and 13.4% with neonatal insult). We could not identify the risk factors in 36.6% of the children. Most children with motor delay had brain/neuromuscular diseases and were associated with risks of prematurity or low birth body weight; while most children with global delay had brain neuromuscular diseases or psychological/mental disorders and were associated with risks of genetic defects or congenital anomalies.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that there are heterogeneous risk factors and related diseases in children with different kinds of functional delay.
Chen
I-Chun
IC
Department of Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Chen
Chia-Ling
CL
Wong
May-Kuen
MK
Chung
Chia-Ying
CY
Chen
Chia-Hui
CH
Sun
Chia-Ho
CH
D001724:Birth Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors