Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4rdrl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-14T17:57:14.973Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Children born to mentally retarded women: a 1–21 year follow-up study of 41 cases

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Christopher Gillberg*
Affiliation:
Barn-och ungdomspsykiatriska Kliniken, University of Göteborg, Sweden
Marianne Geijer-Karlsson
Affiliation:
Barn-och ungdomspsykiatriska Kliniken, University of Göteborg, Sweden
*
1Address for correspondence: Professor C. Gillberg, Göteborgs Universitet, Barn-och ungdomspsykiatriska Kliniken, Box 7284, 40235, Goteborg, Sweden.

Synopsis

Fifteen mentally retarded Swedish women, judged to be a representative sample, gave birth to 41 children. These children were followed up at the age of 1–21 years with regard to registrations in the Social Register, the Board for Provisions and Services to the Mentally Retarded and the files of the Child and Youth Psychiatric Departments. One child had died, and of the remaining 40 85% had or had exhibited severe psychosocial problems according to register data. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Type
Brief Communications
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Heber, R. & Garber, H. (1975). The Milwaukee Project: a study of the use of family intervention to prevent cultural–familial mental retardation. In Exceptional Infant, Vol. 3: Assessment and Intervention (ed. Friedlandler, B.). Brunner/Mazel: New York.Google Scholar
Reed, E. W. & Reed, S. C. (1965). Mental Retardation: a Family Study. W. B. Saunders: Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Rönström, A. (1981). Mentally Retarded Parents and their Children. A Follow-up Study of 17 Children with Mentally Retarded Parents. The Swedish Save the Children Federation.Google Scholar
Sarason, S. F. & Gladwin, T. (1959). Mental Subnormality: Biological, Psychological and Cultural Factors. Basic Books: New York.Google Scholar