• Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med · Jan 2009

    Comparative Study

    Health care use and health and functional impact of developmental disabilities among US children, 1997-2005.

    • Sheree L Boulet, Coleen A Boyle, and Laura A Schieve.
    • National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Mail Stop E86, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. sboulet@cdc.gov
    • Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009 Jan 1;163(1):19-26.

    ObjectiveTo present nationally representative estimates of health-related limitations, needs, and service use among US children with and without developmental disabilities (DDs).DesignRetrospective analysis of data from a sample of US households from the 1997-2005 National Health Interview Surveys.ParticipantsChildren aged 3 to 17 years (n = 95 132).Main Outcome MeasuresParents or other knowledgeable adults reported on their children's DDs, health needs, and use of health and education services. Developmental disabilities included attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, blindness, cerebral palsy, deaf/a lot of trouble hearing, learning disability, mental retardation, seizures, stuttering/stammering, and other developmental delay.ResultsAmong children with 1 or more DDs, prevalence estimates for limitations in movement (6.1%), needed help with personal care (3.2%), needed special equipment (3.5%), received home health care (1.4%), and regularly took prescription medication(s) (37.5%) were 4 to 32 times higher than for children without DDs. Children with DDs were 2 to 8 times as likely to have had more than 9 health care visits (14.9%), received special education (38.8%), had a surgical or medical procedure (7.5%), and recently visited a medical specialist (23.9%), mental health professional (26.6%), therapist/allied health professional (19.6%), and/or emergency department (10.3%). Effects were generally stable during the study interval and independent of age, race, sex, and family income. Cerebral palsy, autism, mental retardation, blindness, and deafness/a lot of trouble hearing were associated with the highest levels of health and functional impact indicators.ConclusionsDevelopmental disabilities profoundly affect children's health and functioning. These data can inform evidence-based targeted prevention strategies for minimizing functional limitations and lifetime disability. Additional study of unmet needs and access to care is needed.

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