ACTIVE EPILEPSY IN MENTALLY-RETARDED CHILDREN .2. ETIOLOGY AND REDUCED PRENATAL AND PERINATAL OPTIMALITY

A population-based study of active epilepsy in mentally retarded child ren identified 98 children, 6-13 years old. A biopathological origin w as established in 66% of mildly and 92% of severely retarded children: a prenatal etiology was considered in 51% and 57%, a perinatal in 9% and 19%, a postnatal in 6% and 16% and an untraceable etiology in 34% and 8%, respectively. Severe mental retardation was more frequent in t he peri- and postnatal groups (80% and 83%) than in the prenatal and u ntraceable groups (67% and 29%). Thirty-four pre- and perinatal optima l items were defined. Children with a prenatal etiology did not differ from controls in any of the periods. Children with a perinatal etiolo gy had, compared with controls, higher proportions of non-optimal item s successively increasing through the pre- and perinatal periods showi ng the accumulation of negative events.