“Mental retardation is perhaps the greatest single source of human suffering. The child born mentally retarded is not only a tragic human figure in himself, living yet not alive, since he is never to be what he could have been, but he is the innocent agent of profound and endless suffering to his family and a perpetual burden to society” (Lyman 1963).
Summary
40 cases of idiopathic mental retardation, 12 cases of post-traumatic brain damage, 3 gargoyles, 3 cretins and 5 mongols were studied for their urinary aminoacids. In the first two groups, there was no significant abnormality detected. A moderate hyperamino-aciduria was seen in 2 gargoyles and hypoaminoaciduria in cretins. The urinary aminoacidgram of mongols was normal. The pathogenesis of aminoacid excretion and its relation to mental retardation is discussed.
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From the Departments of Pediatrics and Physiology, Medical College, Rohtak.
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Dhatt, P.S., Gupta, H.L. & Saini, A.S. Urinary aminoacics in mental retardation. Indian J Pediatr 35, 469–475 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02753118
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02753118