Background: Intellectual disability (ID) is registered in 2%-3% of newborns. In most cases, the causes are not identifiable.
Objective: We explored the correlation between the intellectual disability and gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, familial diseases, congenital anomalies, and acquired medical disorders, with the aim to estimate the prevalence and severity of comorbidities in the affected children.
Methods: Our study included 22 children with ID, and 24 with proper psychomotor development, aged 5-10 who were not considered to have ID.
Results: The presence of familial disorders and CNS congenital anomalies increased the risk of ID 4.147 and 2.59 times, respectively. The risk for other congenital and noncongenital diseases was higher (7.38 and 1.4 times, respectively) in children with intellectual disability.
Conclusions: Children with intellectual disabilities have higher incidence of congenital diseases, family disorders and a higher frequency of acquired disorders during childhood. Apgar score is a sensitive predictor of morbidity regarding congenital as well as noncongenital medical conditions.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.