MOSCOW, August 18 (RIA Novosti) - Mental and developmental disabilities among US children are on the rise, a Pittsburgh-based national study published Monday revealed.
“There's a lot more we can do as a health care system and as a broader society in ensuring children get the services they need, and the accommodations, in order to be as successful as possible,” Dr. Amy Houtrow a pediatric rehabilitation specialist at the University of Pittsburgh said, Pittsburgh news source Trib Live reported.
The two-year project led by Houtrow at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC studied the rate of both physical and mental disabilities among some 200,000 children from 2000 to 2011.
Parents were asked questions about their children aged 0 to 17 regarding disabilities from chronic conditions such as hearing or vision problems, bone or muscle ailments, and mental or behavioral problems.
The overall trend seen is that in comparison to studies done a decade ago, pediatric mental health and neurodevelopmental issues such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have increased by 16 percent, while the figure for children from wealthy families was 28 percent up in the 2000-2011 study.
Houtrow explained that the findings may reflect a greater awareness of mental disabilities in higher-income families due to greater access to healthcare rather than a particular spike in developmental issues among children in wealthier families.
The study found that despite the rise in mental disabilities, physical disabilities among children have dropped by 12 percent. Houtrow claims that medical advancements aiding asthma control, in addition to parents taking greater safety measures in protecting their children, such as using helmets and seatbelts, are behind the fall in numbers.
The results mirror previous studies showing an increase in mental disabilities such as autism, according to The Associated Press. The research also supported the claim that disadvantaged children are more likely to have chronic health problems in addition to poor health care. The study was published online in the journal Pediatrics.
