Abstract
The Swedish Medical Research Council constituted in the middle of the 1970s a planning group to structure scientific studies on mental retardation (MR). It was thought that if the causes, mechanisms and distributions of MR could be better delineated, it might be possible to devise and apply preventive measures. Population-based investigations on aetiologies and their distribution were thus initiated, initially studying severe MR (SMR; IQ < 50), then proceeding to milder forms (MMR; IQ 50–70).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Ahlfors, K. (1982). Epidemiologic Studies of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection. Thesis, Malmo
Alm, J. and Larsson, A. (1981). Evaluation of a nation-wide neonatal metabolic screening program in Sweden 1965–1979. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, 70, 601–607
Blomquist, H. K:son (1982). Mental Retardation in Children. An epidemiolgical and etiological study of mentally retarded children born in 1959–1980 in a northern Swedish county. Thesis, Umea
Blomquist, H. K:son, Gustavson, K.-H. and Holmgren, G. (1981). Mild mental retardation in children in a northern Swedish County. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 25, 169–186
Blomquist, H. K:son, Gustavson, K.-H., Holmgren, G., Nordenson, I. and Sweins, A. (1982). Fragile site X chromosomes and X-linked mental retardation in severely retarded boys in a northern Swedish county. A prevalence study. Clinical Genetics, 21, 209–214
Coco, R. and Penchaszadeh, V.B. (1976). Frequency of chromosomal aberrations in 131 patients with multiple congenital malformations and mental retardation, Journal of Pediatrics, 80, 325–335
Dreborg, S., Erikson, A. and Hagberg, B. (1980). Gaucher disease-Norrbottnian Type. I. General clinical description. European Journal of Pediatrics, 133, 107–118
Gostason, R. (1982). Mental- retardation and its psychiatric complications. Preliminary report of an epidemiological study in an adult population in Sweden. Paper presented at the Int. Congr. Scientific Study of of Mental Deficiency, Toronto, Aug. 25
Gripenberg, U., Hongell, K., Knuutila, S., Kahkonen M. and Leisti, J. (1980). A chromosome survey of 1062 mentally retarded patients. Evaluation of a long-term study at the Rinnekoti Institution, Finland. Hereditas, 92, 223–228
Gustavson, K.-H. and Hagberg, B. (1971). The incidence and genetics of metachromatic leucodystrophy in northern Sweden. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, 60, 585–590
Gustavson, K.-H., Hagberg, B., Hagberg, G. and Sars, K. (1977a). Severe mental retardation in a Swedish county. I. Epidemiology, gestational age, birth weight and associated CNS handicap in children born 1959–70. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, 66, 373–379
Gustavson, K.-H., Hagberg, B., Hagberg, G. and Sars, K. (1977b). Severe mental retardation in Swedish school children. II. Etiologic and pathogenetic aspects. Neuropadiatrie, 8, 293–304
Gustavson, K.-H., Holmgren, G., Jonsell, R. and Blomquist, H. K:son (1977c). Severe mental retardation in children in a northern Swedish county. Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 21, 161–181
Hagberg, B., Hagberg, G., Lewerth, A. and Lindberg, U. (1981a). Mild mental retardation in Swedish school children. I. Prevalence. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, 70, 441–444
Hagberg, B., Hagberg, G., Lewerth, A. and Lindberg, U. (1981b). Mild mental retardation in Swedish school children. II. Etiologic and pathogenetic aspects. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, 70, 445–452
Hagberg, G., Hagberg, B. and Olow, I. (1976). The changing panorama of cerebral palsy in Sweden 1954–1970. III. The importance of foetal deprivation of supply. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, 65, 403–408
Hagberg, B., Hagberg, G. and Olow, I. (1982). Gains and hazards of intensive neonatal care: an analysis from Swedish cerebral palsy epidemiology. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 24, 13–19
Hagberg, B., Kollberg, H., Sourander, P. and Akesson, H.O. (1969). Infantile globoid cell leucodystrophy (Krabbe’s disease). Neuropadiatrie, 1, 74–88
Hagberg, B. and Svennerholm, L. (1982) Swedish forms of GM1 and GM2 gangliosidoses. Unpublished data
Jagell, S., Gustavson, K.H. and Holmgren, G. (1981). Sjogren-Larsson syndrome in Sweden. A clinical, genetic and epidemiological study. Clinical Genetics, 19, 233–256
Jonsell, R., Broberger, 0., Brzokoupil, K., Noren, C.E. and Rabo, E. (1981). Vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella. Lakartidningen (Sw). 78. 767–769
Kaveggia, E.G., Durkin, M.V., Pendleton, E. and Opitz, J.M. 1973). Diagnostic/genetic studies on 1224 patients with severe mental retardation. Proceedings of the Third Congress of the International Association for the ScientificStudy of Mental Deficiency, The Hague, The Netherlands, 4–12 September
Larsson, A. (1979). Screening of newborn infants in Sweden for congenital metabolic diseases. Skandia lnternational Symposium on Congenital Diseases in Childhood. Medical and Socio-Medical Aspects, Stockholm, October 2–4
Larsson, G. (1983). Prevention of fetal alcohol effects - an antenatal program for early detection for pregnancies at risk. Acta Obstetrica et Gynecologica Scandinavica, (in press)
Olegard, R., Sabel, K.G., Aronson, M., Sandin, B., Johansson, P.R., Carlsson, C., Kyllerman, M., Iversen, K. and Hrbek, A. (1979). Effects on the child of alcohol abuse during pregnancy. Retrospective and prospective studies. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica. sunol. 275. 112–121
Opitz, J.M. (1979). Diagnostic/genetic studies in severe mental retardation. In Genetic Counselling, Eds H.A. Lubs and F. de la Cruz. New York: Raven Press
Roberton, N.R.C. (1978). Discussion. In: Major Mental Handicap: Methods and Costs of Prevention. Ciba Foundation Symposium 59, Amsterdam: Elsevier/Excerpta Medica. pp 42–43
Ryberg, U., Larsson, G., Ottenblad, Ch., Rane, A. and Tunell, R. (1981). Early detection of alcohol and drug abuse in pregnancy. Biological Psychiatry. Proceedings of the IIIrd Congress of Biological Psychiatry, Stockholm, 1981, Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press
Stene, J., Fischer, G., Stene, E., Mikkelsen, M. and Petersen, E. (1977). Paternal age effect in Down’s syndrome. Annals of Human Genetics, 40, 299–308
Taranger, J., Sedvall, A., Kyllerman, M. and Garton, M. (1982). Experiences of combined vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella in the 6th grade of school. Lakartidningen (Sw), 79, 3430–3431
Terman, L.M. and Merrill, M.A. (1973). Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: 1972 Norms Edition, p. 359. Boston, Houghton-Mifflin
Thompson, R.J. (1977). Consequences of using the 1972 Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale norms. Psychology in the Schools, 14, 444–448
Webb, G.C., Halliday, J.L., Pitt, D.B., Judge, C.G. and Leversha, M. (1982). Fragile (X) (q27) sites in a pedigree with female carriers showing mild to severe mental retardation. Journal of Medical Genetics, 19, 44–48 among very low birthweight babies who are most exposed to prejudicial episodes such as intraventricular haemorrhage. That this exercise has been achieved without a convincing rise in the handicap rate is a testimonial to the expertise of the perinatal staff. Small wonder that trends in both directions have been observed in a number of series (for review, see Keily et al., 1981). In the author’s own work (Hagberg, 1979) the prevalence of cerebral palsy rose slightly in the early 1970s. The neonatologists now address themselves to the care of infants who two weeks earlier in gestation are regarded legally as abortuses. This ethical paradox has yet to be resolved. Nonetheless, it seems natural to assume that there is a length of gestation below which intact extrauterine survival is not possible with the principles of neonatal intensive care as we now know them. Generating a great expense, a higher proportion of significantly handicapped survivors is clearly not a worthwhile exercise. It is the responsibility of neonatologists to ensure that they simultaneously deploy their resources towards the assessment and maintenance of the integrity of the central nervous system.
References
Hagberg, B. (1979). Epidemiological and preventive aspects of cerebral palsy in severe mental retardation in Sweden. European Journal of Paediatrics, 130, 71–78
Keily, J.L., Paneth, N., Stein, Z. and Susser, M. (1981). Cerebral palsy and newborn care. 1. Secular trends in cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 23, 533
Smithells, R.W., Sheppard, S., Schorah, C.J., Sellar, M.J., Nevin, N.C. Harris, R., Reid, A.P., Fielding, D.W. and Walker, S. 198 1). Vitamin supplementation and neural tube defects. Lancet, ii, 1425–1426
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1984 The Royal Society of Medicine
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hagberg, B., Hagberg, G. (1984). Aspects of prevention of pre-, peri- and postnatal brain pathology in severe and mild mental retardation An analysis from recent Swedish epidemiology research. In: Dobbing, J., Clarke, A.D.B., Corbett, J.A., Hogg, J., Robinson, R.O. (eds) Scientific Studies in Mental Retardation. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-06870-8_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-06870-8_3
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-06872-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-06870-8
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)