Developmental disabilities up significantly since 2014

The prevalence of children with a developmental disability rose by 21% from 2014 to 2016, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

In 2016, the prevalence of any diagnosed developmental disability in children aged 3-17 years was 6.99% – a statistically significant increase of 21% over the 5.76% recorded in 2014, the NCHS said in a recent Data Brief.

Autism spectrum disorder was up by a similar amount: 23% from 2014, when prevalence was 2.24%, to 2016, when the prevalence was 2.76% among children aged 3-17 years. Intellectual disability rose in 2015 but dropped in 2016, so the overall increase in prevalence was just 3.6%. The prevalence of other developmental delays, on the other hand, held steady from 2014 to 2015 and then took a big jump, 27.5%, in 2016, the NCHS investigators reported.

The estimates are based on reports by parents or guardians of ever receiving a diagnosis of each developmental disability from a physician or other medical professional.

rfranki@frontlinemedcom.com