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\%.
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