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Most developmental disabilities in children are caused by congenital and perinatal problems, but a significant number -- especially of preventable disabilities -- originate between 30 days and 10 years of age. This 1991 survey of children 3 to 10 years old in metropolitan Atlanta gives us a better idea of the actual prevalence and causes of postnatally acquired developmental disabilities.
About 10.6 per 1000 children had at least one of four disabilities: cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and hearing or visual impairment. Of the 2685 children affected, 122 (4.5 percent) had at least one problem with a postnatal cause. The proportion of such disabilities ranged from 3.5 percent for mental retardation to 12.4 percent for hearing impairment. …