TY  - JOUR
T1  - IMpact of specific medical interventions on reducing the prevalence of mental retardation
AU  - Brosco JP, Mattingly M, Sanders LM
Y1  - 2006/03/01
N1  - 10.1001/archpedi.160.3.302
JO  - Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
SP  - 302
EP  - 309
VL  - 160
IS  - 3
N2  - Objective 
    To explore the impact of medical interventions on reducing the prevalence of mental retardation (MR) in the United States over the last 50 years.Design 
    We reviewed the medical literature and other data from 1950 to 2000 to construct estimates of the general and condition-specific prevalence of MR in the United States over time. We further explored the existing literature to document historically important influences on condition-specific prevalence, including the year that an effective intervention was introduced, the likelihood of success of the intervention, and the availability of such interventions nationwide. Specific conditions included congenital syphilis, Rh hemolytic disease of the newborn, measles, Haemophilus influenzae type B meningitis, congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria, and congenital rubella syndrome.Setting 
    Twentieth-century North America.Participants 
    Children with MR or 1 of the 7 specific conditions listed earlier.Main Outcome Measures 
    Case-specific and general prevalence of MR from 1950 to 2000.Results 
    The prevalence of MR caused by a number of specific medical conditions has decreased sharply over the last 50 years. However, the incidence of each of these conditions is relatively low, and cases of MR due to these conditions represent, at most, 16.5% of the total number of cases of MR in 1950.Conclusion 
    Although specific medical interventions have prevented thousands of cases of MR, their contribution to the overall prevalence of MR is relatively small.
SN  - 1072-4710
M3  - doi: 10.1001/archpedi.160.3.302
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.160.3.302
ER  -