Incidence of injury in children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disability

Children and adolescents living with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) have a higher risk of experiencing morbidities and premature death when compared to children and adolescents living without IDD. Childhood injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and death, yet there are limited studies that explore the prevalence of childhood injuries for individuals living with IDD. The purpose of this study was to analyze Ontario health administrative data to identify and compare rates of injury resulting in hospitalization in children and adolescents living with and without IDD.

This is a cross-sectional study of all Ontarians aged 0-19 years with and without IDD. The outcome of interest was the rate of injury resulting in hospitalization.

This study found that children and adolescents with IDD had 1.79 (CI 1.66, 1.92) times higher rates of both intentional and unintentional injuries that resulted in hospitalization when compared to children and adolescents without IDD. Hospitalizations for self-harm related injuries were 3.16 (CI 3.09, 3.23) times higher in the IDD group.

Children and adolescents with IDD have a higher risk of sustaining serious injuries, particularly injuries resulting from self-harm. Practical Applications: This study provides evidence of increased injury related hospitalizations for children and adolescents with IDD when compared to their peers without IDD.