An etiological study of intellectually disabled children under 14 years old in Anhui Province, China

To explore the etiological factors of intellectually disabled children in Anhui Province using a multicenter etiological study.

A total of 200 children aged 0 to 14 years in Anhui Province who were diagnosed with intellectual disabilities were recruited as the study cohort. Their general information (perinatal information, parental educational levels, family environments, etc.) was collected through questionnaires, and the Gesell Developmental Scale and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale were used to assess the intelligence development of the enrolled children.

Among the 528 children, 270 (51.14%) had severe intellectual disabilities and 258 (48.86%) had mild intellectual disabilities. It was found that various perinatal factors (premature birth, asphyxia, ischemic hypoxic encephalopathy, etc.), severe cerebral palsy, and psychosocial factors were the main etiological factors, accounting for 27.42%, 22.29%, and 17.16% respectively. There was a significant difference in the distribution of the etiologies between the rural and urban areas (P<0.01). The educational levels of most of the parents in the rural areas were lower than the parents' educational levels in the cities.

Correlation analyses are helpful for the early diagnosis of children suspected of having intellectual disabilities and they provide a scientific basis for improving the children's quality of life and their early rehabilitation treatment.